Tangled Web
by cleotheo
Summary: Lucius Malfoy has always known an arranged marriage was a likely part of his future, so when his father plans for him to marry Bellatrix Black he accepts it without a fuss. But then he meets Bellatrix's beautiful sister, Narcissa, and complications arise when there is an instant attraction between the pair and he finds himself torn between two sisters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – This is a different story to my usual work as the main focus of this story is Lucius and Narcissa. However, this is the first story in a universe that I fully intend to return to for future stories, and the stories will eventually shift to focus on Draco and Hermione, and possibly even their children.**

 **As for this story, it starts while Narcissa is still in her final year at school (although she doesn't make an appearance for a few chapters). There is also an element of Lucius and Bellatrix in this story, and the M rating if for sexual content between Lucius and both Black sisters (although not at the same time). There is also an affair element to the story – which I want to warn about in case that's something people aren't comfortable with.**

 **Updates will be on Tuesday and Thursday, and it has 20 chapters in total. For those who are reading this story, I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

When the antique grandfather clock in his father's office struck seven, Lucius Malfoy looked up from his desk in surprise. Most people in the wizarding world wouldn't have expected the rich and entitled Lucius Malfoy to be working at seven in the evening. In fact, most people wouldn't have expected him to be working at all. Not a lot of people realised that even though they were one of the richest families in the country, the Malfoys worked as hard as anyone else in wizarding Britain.

The work ethic came from Lucius's father, Abraxas. Before Abraxas the Malfoys had been content to rest on their laurels as one of the richest families in the wizarding world. However, Abraxas had taken a different view and he'd set out to build the family fortune ever further. As he was so fond of telling Lucius, if every Malfoy took the attitude that they didn't have to work, the money would eventually run out and they would be no different to dozens of other once prominent pureblood families. Lucius fully agreed with his father's teachings, and he'd had no problem joining his father in the family business when he'd left Hogwarts the previous year.

In fact, Lucius was busy working on plans to streamline the business his father had built from scratch and make it even more profitable. However, he knew his father might not like all of his ideas, so he wanted an answer for every question his father could throw at him before he spoke to him. Abraxas Malfoy was a tough man to please, and there was nothing Lucius wanted more than to make his father proud. It was what had driven Lucius his entire life, and that hadn't changed just because he was now an adult.

Lucius and Abraxas had a slightly prickly relationship, which Lucius put down to the fact his mother, Greta, had died when he was just seven years old. Before his mother had died, Lucius could remember having a warm, loving relationship with his father. But when Greta died, it was as if part of Abraxas died with her, and he lost the ability to truly connect with his only son. Ever since, Abraxas had been cold and distant and Lucius had learned to cherish even the slightest sign that he'd pleased his father. One of the proudest moments of his life was still the day his father had clapped him proudly on the shoulder at the news he'd been made Head Boy. And now, he was hoping to make his father even prouder by turning the successful family business into a mega success.

Knowing he still had a lot of work to do before he could even broach his father about the changes he wanted to implement, Lucius packed away his work for the night. Stretching his aching limbs, he wondered if he should head back to Malfoy Manor for the night, or just go to the Malfoy penthouse in the centre of wizarding London. Upon joining the business, Lucius had been given the keys to the luxury penthouse his father owned in London. Abraxas had made it clear that while the manor was still Lucius's home, he could use the penthouse at his own discretion. Lucius took it to mean his father didn't want him bringing women back to the manor, and was giving him somewhere he could entertain his lady friends.

Lucius actually had plenty of lady friends, and despite only having the keys for the penthouse for a few months, he'd already made good use of the place. As a Malfoy, he was in high demand with the witches of Britain, and the fact he was extremely good looking with his long blond hair and sparkling grey eyes didn't hurt either. Of course, Lucius knew that one day he would be expected to marry a respectable witch and settle down, but for the moment he was content to play the field and have some fun while he could.

As he checked the office to make sure it was secure, Lucius weighed up his options and decided the manor was more appealing. He loved the penthouse, and it was very easy to summon one of the house elves to sort him some supper, but Malfoy Manor was his home and right now the thought of going back home was more appealing. At the manor, Lucius had his own wing of the house, and he could actually live independently from his father if he wished. Abraxas would never even know if Lucius did bring a witch home, but Lucius respected his father's wishes and he'd never brought a witch back to his childhood home.

When he arrived home, Lucius landed in his own wing of the manor. Calling for his personal house elf, Dobby, he ordered some food to be served in the library, before he headed to grab a quick shower. By the time Lucius had showered and changed into a more casual trousers and shirt, his dinner was waiting for him in the library beside the roaring fire.

"Thank you Dobby, that will be all," Lucius said, dismissing the small elf, who had a tendency to be over-dramatic, but was loyal nonetheless.

Expecting to have an evening of peace, Lucius finished his meal and settled down to relax for a few hours. However, he'd no sooner gotten settled before the fire in the library when he heard a popping noise and when he turned around his father's personal house elf, Kerri, was standing in the middle of the room.

"Master Abraxas wishes to speak to you, young master Lucius," Kerri said.

"Very well," Lucius replied with a nod of his head. "I'm on my way."

Abraxas's elf vanished without another word, but Lucius wasn't worried about finding his father. The manor may have been vast, but Abraxas only used a handful of rooms. Aside from his own personal wing, which Lucius hadn't set foot in since his mother died, he used a small selection of rooms on the ground floor. Those rooms included a dining room, the main library in the manor, two different living rooms and his private study. Lucius was predicting his father was in his study, and sure enough when he knocked on the door, his father's gruff voice called for him to enter.

"Lucius, take a seat," Abraxas barked, not looking up from the papers he was studying on his desk.

Knowing his father would give him his attention when he was ready, and not a moment before, Lucius sat down in front of his father's desk. Remembering his father wasn't keen on the fact he was growing his hair, Lucius wished he'd tied it back with the black ribbons he wore during the day. However, he hadn't been expecting his father to summon him, so his hair was loose, showing off just how long it was getting. Lucius was tempted to pull out his wand and magically tie his hair up, but he also knew his father wouldn't appreciate him fiddling until he was ready to talk, so he remained perfectly still in his seat, waiting for his father's attention.

When Abraxas did finally look up, Lucius wasn't at all surprised when his lip curled in distaste at the sight of his loose hair. However, Abraxas didn't comment about his son's hair as that wasn't the reason he'd called him into his study.

"I've been talking with Cygnus Black," Abraxas began. He wasn't one to beat around the bush with small talk, he preferred to get right to the point. "And we think a union between our two families will be beneficial for us both."

Lucius knew a union meant marriage, and he immediately tried to work out who he could be possibly set to marry. The Blacks were a well-known pureblood family, almost as well known as the Malfoys, but their family tree was vast and they had several different branches. Thankfully Lucius knew who was who in the pureblood circles his father travelled in, and he could recall that Cygnus had three daughters. The eldest two were both older than him, although the middle one had caused a huge scandal a few years ago when she'd run off with a muggleborn and promptly been disinherited, and the youngest daughter was slightly younger than him if he remembered correctly. Since the middle one was out of the picture, Lucius figured he was either going to be paired off with the older witch, or the young innocent one who would still be at Hogwarts.

"I trust you understand what that means, Lucius," Abraxas added pointedly.

"I do father," Lucius replied with a nod. "You know I'm ready to do my duty as a Malfoy, and marry the right witch."

"If all goes to plan the right witch will be Bellatrix Black," Abraxas said. "Now she is older than you Lucius, but she is said to be a stunningly attractive witch. Her father informs me that she's also a bit of a handful. He wants a strong wizard to take her in hand and keep her under control."

"I can handle a headstrong witch," Lucius answered smugly. Bellatrix may have been older than him, but he doubted she was strong enough to stand up to him.

"Let's hope that you can," Abraxas said. "We're having dinner with the Blacks tomorrow evening so you can meet Bellatrix. Nothing is settled yet Lucius, so don't let me down. Uniting the Blacks and the Malfoys will be good for all involved. Together as one family we could be even more powerful than we already are."

"I won't let you down father," Lucius vowed.

He was smart enough to realise that his feelings for Bellatrix wouldn't come into play, nor would her feelings for him. Their union would be the result of what their families thought best. They would marry to unite their families, not because they loved one another. Fortunately, it was something Lucius had always known to expect, and he wasn't disappointed not to be choosing his own bride. He'd always hoped to marry a witch he loved, like his parents who had obviously adored one another, but he could still have that with Bellatrix despite the fact they didn't know each other. For all he knew Bellatrix Black could turn out to be the love of his life.

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 _ **...**_

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Bellatrix Black had always known she would have little say over who she married, but she was just hoping that Lucius Malfoy turned out to be a more suitable match than her father's first suggestion, Rodolphus Lestrange. Bellatrix had no sooner left Hogwarts than her father began the process of betrothing her to Rodolphus. The Lestranges were a pureblood family, so Bellatrix hadn't had any objections to the union, until she'd met Rodolphus and found out he was nothing but an oaf, and his brother, Rabastan was no better. Bellatrix doubted the brothers had two brain cells to rub together, and while Rodolphus would have undoubtedly been an easy husband to control, she didn't want that. Bellatrix wanted a husband who was a real man, and in her eyes, Rodolphus had not fallen into that category.

Once she'd decided she didn't want to marry Rodolphus, Bellatrix had caused enough fuss so that her father dropped the idea. However, she knew the same ploy wouldn't work a second time and her father had already warned her that like him or not, Lucius Malfoy would be the wizard she was going to marry. Now all Bellatrix had to do was hope that he wasn't too bad and pray that the fact he was younger than her meant he was a pushover. Bellatrix didn't want a pushover for a husband, but she wouldn't mind being married to a man who was open to persuasion to see things her way.

"Bellatrix," Druella, her mother suddenly called, startling Bellatrix from her thoughts.

"Coming mother," Bellatrix called back.

Before leaving her room, she took a moment to make sure she looked her best. Bellatrix knew she wasn't breathtakingly beautiful like her younger sister Narcissa, but she possessed a confident sexiness Narcissa couldn't hope to possess. Bellatrix was more than adept at making men fall at her feet, and she was aiming to do the same with Lucius. She might as well make a good impression on the young wizard who was to become her husband.

Arriving downstairs, Bellatrix entered the large living room just as one of their elves appeared to announce their guests had arrived. Moments later another elf led two tall, handsome blond men into the room. Rather than focus on Lucius, as there would be plenty of time to do that later, Bellatrix studied Abraxas. Abraxas had an air of confidence not even her father possessed, and he very much stole all the attention in the room without trying. Even though he was an older wizard, he was still very good looking with his short white blond hair, pale flawless skin, and intriguing grey eyes. Bellatrix could only imagine what potency he possessed in his youth, as he was still a striking wizard in his middle age.

Finally turning her attention to Lucius as their father's shook hands and greeted one another, Bellatrix got an idea what a youthful Abraxas looked like as his son was a direct copy of his father, only younger and more attractive. Lucius's long blond hair was tied at the nape of his neck with a black ribbon, and his grey eyes sparkled mischievously as he openly appraised Bellatrix. Even from across the room, Bellatrix could feel the lust radiating from him and her gut told her that they would be very compatible. He may have been younger than her, but Bellatrix was betting that Lucius Malfoy was an experienced wizard when it came to sex and the fairer sex.

"Bellatrix, come and meet Lucius," Cygnus cajoled, gesturing for his daughter to move across the room.

Aware that Lucius's eyes were on her, Bellatrix sashayed across the room. Coming to a stop in front of Lucius, she gave him a blatant lust filled gaze, before offering him her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lucius."

"The pleasure is all mine," Lucius purred, reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips, his grey eyes never leaving hers.

"Shall we move through to the dining room?" Cygnus suggested, unable to hide his smile as the connection his daughter had already struck up with the young Malfoy.

"Let's, we've much to discuss," Abraxas replied with a nod.

As the two wizards led the way out of the living room, Bellatrix threw a flirtatious glance at Lucius, before sweeping out of the room. Settling herself down to dinner, she was pleased to find herself seated opposite Lucius. While their father's discussed their possible union, Bellatrix fired questions at Lucius, eager to get to know more about the wizard her father intended to marry her to.

By the end of the meal, Bellatrix had discovered that she had very little in common with Lucius. Annoyingly, he was a bit of a culture freak like her sister. It was clear that the likes of literature, art and history appealed to him far more than the things that appealed to Bellatrix like the Dark Arts. Still, he was only young and Bellatrix was convinced she could bring him round to her way of thinking. After all, he hadn't dismissed the Dark Arts, he'd merely admitted he'd never really dabbled in them.

"I think we're going to get along just swimmingly," Bellatrix said to Lucius as the evening ended and they said their goodbyes.

"I'm sure we will," Lucius agreed.

Bellatrix watched her potential husband leave, feeling rather satisfied with the evening's findings. There were things she didn't like about Lucius, but nothing that couldn't be changed. More importantly, his youth wasn't going to be a problem. Bellatrix knew they were going to be explosive together, and she suspected Lucius was man enough to handle her. All in all she thought that Lucius Malfoy would make a very good husband. They were the perfect match, and Bellatrix knew that together they could be a real force to be reckoned with in the wizarding world. As Mrs Malfoy she would have the world at her feet and she couldn't wait.


	2. Chapter 2

Lucius wasn't the slightest bit surprised when his father announced that he'd reached an agreement with Cygnus and the marriage between their children would go ahead. It was an announcement that Lucius was expecting, as barring a major problem, he knew his father and Bellatrix's were keen on uniting the two families. The Blacks and the Malfoys were two of the strongest families in wizarding Britain, and put them together they would be unstoppable.

With an official engagement on the cards, a party was a necessity for the two families. As the only mother around, Druella was tasked with organising the party, but she was insistent on holding it at Malfoy Manor. Lucius knew his father wasn't over keen on holding parties at the manor, but given it was his only son's engagement party, he relented and agreed to host the party.

In the days leading up to the party Druella was at the house every day, organising something or the other. Lucius had gotten so sick of the constant stream of party planners at home, that he'd taken to staying overnight in the penthouse in London. However, on the day of the party, Lucius was at home, getting ready for the festivities.

"Talk about overkill," Lucius muttered to his father as they passed through some of the rooms, Druella had decorated for the party.

"It is a bit much," Abraxas agreed with a wince. "But it is a big deal, Lucius. You only get engaged once."

"I know, but I would have rather done it without the fuss," Lucius grouched.

"Duty calls, Lucius," Abraxas said with a chuckle. "Now come with me to my study. I've got something for you."

Lucius followed his father to his study, and watched as he unlocked the family safe that was hidden behind a picture behind his desk. When Abraxas turned back to Lucius, he was holding a small black box in his hands.

"It's a family heirloom," Abraxas explained. "You're to give it to Bellatrix tonight."

Lucius took the box when his father passed it to him, and when he opened it, he found a dazzling emerald ring. "Is this mother's ring?" He asked.

"Yes, it's the ring your mother had as her engagement ring," Abraxas confirmed in a quiet voice. "My father gave it to me on my betrothal."

"Thank you, father," Lucius said softly, tucking the box into his pocket.

"Well, we best be getting on," Abraxas said, clearing his throat and breaking the emotional atmosphere in the room.

Yes, we don't want to be late to the party," Lucius agreed with a nod. It was rare he got a glimpse of his father's emotions, but he'd clearly been feeling wistful talking about his late wife, and Lucius appreciated even the smallest insight into his father's feelings.

Leaving his father's study, Lucius returned to his room where he prepared for the party. Knowing it was a traditional party, Lucius plucked his best black robes out of his wardrobe, but he paid just as much attention to the clothes he would be wearing underneath. Sorting the smart black trousers was easy, but Lucius took his time in picking a shirt to go with them. Finally he settled on a deep blue shirt which brought out the small flecks of blue in his eyes.

"Not that anyone is going to see," Lucius muttered to himself as he dressed in the trousers and shirt.

Part of him wished he could attend the party in his normal clothes, but he knew for big events like the one he was attending that dress robes were vital. It was the way the pureblood wizarding world worked, and Lucius wasn't one to disregard the traditions completely. Besides, he knew not wearing his robes would only infuriate his father, and he would be annoyed enough that Lucius hadn't cut his hair, as he'd not so subtly dropped hints about for the last week. However, his hair was one place where Lucius wouldn't budge, and his compromise was to tie his long hair up with a black ribbon.

Once he was fully dressed, robes and all, Lucius tucked his wand into his robes and left the bedroom. He could already hear music and laughter coming from the ground floor, and it was no surprise to find the party was already in full swing. Even though he had arrived at the exact moment Druella had said the party would start, it would seem there had been plenty of eager party-goers who'd turned up early. Not that Abraxas would be happy, and Lucius smirked slightly at the idea of his father secretly complaining about the guest's lack of etiquette.

Lucius slipped through the guests to the main ballroom, and glanced around for Bellatrix and her parents. When he saw Bellatrix, he paused slightly just to take in the sight of her. He'd already decided that personality wise they weren't very compatible, and they had virtually nothing in common, but looks wise, she was a stunner. Bellatrix was wearing a long, form fitting, deep blue strapless dress and her long black hair had been teased into soft curls and it pooled around her bare shoulders. Even from a distance, Lucius could make out the tempting curve of her cleavage and when she moved, he got a flash of leg as her dress was daringly slit up the right side. She was certainly a cut above anyone else at the party, and Lucius loved her unique style. Most of the party were dressed in traditional clothes, but Bellatrix had gone for sexy in a show stopping dress and she'd pulled it off wonderfully.

As if feeling his eyes on her, Bellatrix turned and shot him a seductive smirk. Lucius immediately felt the blood rush to his nether regions, but having good control over his sexual urges, he ignored the feeling and smiling back at Bellatrix he crossed over the room, to where she was standing with her parents.

"Bellatrix," he greeted, taking hold of her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "You look ravishing. Very beautiful."

"Hmm," Cygnus muttered, obviously unimpressed with his daughter's choice of sexy attire.

"Thank you Lucius," Bellatrix purred, ignoring her father. "You look very handsome yourself."

"I do try," Lucius replied with a smirk. He might have been gazing at Bellatrix with lust, but the feeling was entirely mutual and he could see how much she wanted him.

"We're going to do the official proposal in an hour," Druella informed the pair. "Until then, mingle and be polite to people."

While Druella and Cygnus headed off to do some mingling of their own, Lucius and Bellatrix sought out some of their own friends. Bellatrix's friends tended to be wizards who shared her love of the dark arts, while Lucius's friends were people he went to school with. He was especially pleased when his two oldest friends, Nigel Nott and Horatio Parkinson, bristled with envy when they got an introduction to his sexy fiancée-to-be. Neither Nott nor Parkinson were even close to being engaged, and Lucius couldn't imagine them bagging a sexier witch than Bellatrix.

After an hour's mingling, Lucius and Bellatrix returned to the small stage Druella had set up in the ballroom. When the music stopped, everyone turned to look at the stage where the happy couple were standing with their parents. Both Abraxas and Cygnus gave a small speech, announcing how pleased they were that their families were uniting, before turning the spotlight over to Lucius and Bellatrix. Knowing what was expected of him, Lucius produced the box with the engagement ring and made a formal proposal to Bellatrix. Of course her response was positive, and he slipped the ring onto her finger, where it magically enchanted itself to never fall off.

"To Lucius and Bellatrix," Abraxas called, raising his glass to the couple.

"Lucius and Bellatrix," the entire room chorused, clinking glasses with their neighbours.

"Finally," Bellatrix whispered to Lucius as people toasted their engagement. "Now we've done our part, do you think anyone will notice if we slip away?"

"It is our party, so I would say yes," Lucius began, looking around to where their parents were the centre of attention. "But I think we're surplus to requirements. This night isn't about us, it's about the union of two important families."

"Precisely, so no-one will notice if will slip off for a while," Bellatrix said with a teasing smile.

"Where do you want to slip off to?" Lucius asked his new fiancée.

"Give me a tour of the manor," Bellatrix suggested. "I might as well get to know my new home."

Slipping his hand into Bellatrix's, Lucius led her through the crowds in the ballroom and into a dimly lit corridor. Leading Bellatrix away from the party, Lucius took her to the family part of the house. The party was being hosted over the other side of the vast house, and in the rooms Lucius and Abraxas tended to use, the noise of the party was merely a distant rumble.

"How big is this place?" Bellatrix asked, trying hard not to sound too impressed. Her own family home wasn't exactly small, but it was nothing compared to the size of the manor.

"I'm not sure exactly," Lucius admitted. "But I do know, it would take several hours to visit every single room."

"Best stick to the best bits then," Bellatrix said with a laugh.

Doing just that, Lucius led Bellatrix to the large library. The library was set over two floors, with the top floor overlooking the ground floor. A spiral staircase stood in the corner of the room, leading to the top floor. In another corner was a constantly roaring fire, and several comfortable chairs and sofas. There was nowhere Lucius would rather be than curled up beside the fire with a good book.

"We have the largest collection of books in a private residence in the country," Lucius boasted, pointing out a few rare books his family owned. "We're even on the verge of having the biggest private collection in Europe. There's books in this library which you can't find anywhere else in this country."

"Fascinating," Bellatrix replied, rolling her eyes and glancing around in boredom. Books didn't do it for her, and unless Lucius was going to show her some banned dark arts books, she doubted she could muster any enthusiasm for the library.

"And this is really not your thing, is it?" Lucius asked, trying to hide his frustration. He would have loved it if he and Bellatrix could find some common ground, or even a common interest, but it looked like it wasn't to be literature.

"Not really no," Bellatrix replied with an apologetic smile. "Now if I was Cissy, I would be loving this."

"Cissy?" Lucius questioned in confusion.

"Narcissa, my little sister," Bellatrix explained. "She would love this place. She'll be your biggest fan if you ever show her this library."

"I'm sure she'll get to see it," Lucius replied. "Not that I've met her yet. I thought she might have been here tonight."

"No, that old coot Dumbledore refused to allow her to leave school for the evening," Bellatrix said. "Father was fuming, but there was nothing he could do about it. You'll just have to wait until the summer to meet my baby sister."

"Perhaps I should show you another part of the manor," Lucius suggested, hoping to find another way to engage with his new fiancée.

"Or we could just stay here," Bellatrix replied, her eyes falling on a comfortable looking black leather sofa in the far corner.

"But I thought books weren't your thing," Lucius replied.

"They're not, but there are other things you can do in a library other than read," Bellatrix retorted.

Taking hold of Lucius's hand, it was Bellatrix's turn to lead Lucius to where she wanted to be. Taking him over to the sofa, she gently pushed him down onto the black leather and straddled his lap.

"I think it's time we got to know one another a bit better," she purred, smiling as she felt Lucius begin to spring to life underneath her.

"Before marriage?" Lucius questioned, settling his hands on Bellatrix's hips.

"Don't play coy, Lucius," Bellatrix chuckled, a low throaty laugh that sent jolts of pure lust down Lucius's body. "You're no virgin and neither am I. Besides, I want to make sure my future husband can keep me satisfied."

"I can keep you more than satisfied," Lucius vowed in a low growl.

Not willing to let Bellatrix call all the shots, Lucius reached up and roughly pulled her head down to his, connecting their lips in a hungry kiss. Bellatrix enthusiastically returned the kiss as her hands yanked at Lucius's dress robes. Unconcerned by clothes he could replace, Lucius didn't flinch when his robes tore in Bellatrix's eagerness to get to what lay underneath. When Bellatrix found he was wearing a shirt and trousers underneath his robes, she snarled with disappointment, causing Lucius to chuckle softly.

"That eager to get to grips with me, are you?" he asked, smirking up at Bellatrix.

"I'm sure you're just as eager," Bellatrix responded.

Giving Lucius a sinful smirk, Bellatrix moved her hands up to her dress and slid the zipper down on her side. Almost immediately her dress fell away, revealing her firm, full breasts. Licking his lips in appreciation, Lucius reached up to caress the soft mounds of flesh.

"Nice," he said, running his fingers over her, hard pink nipples.

"I like to think so," Bellatrix replied with a smirk.

"You're not lacking in confidence, Bella," Lucius laughed.

"Why would I be?" Bellatrix asked with a shrug, causing her bare breasts to jiggle in Lucius's hands. "I've got a good body, and I know it. I don't suppose you're lacking in confidence either."

"I don't suppose I am," Lucius agreed. "But like you, I know what I've got to offer if impressive."

"Let's see shall we?" Bellatrix teased, slowly opening the top button on Lucius's shirt.

Taking her time, she opened every button, revealing a pale, toned torso. Bellatrix ran her hands appreciatively over Lucius's torso, before heading to the zipper on his trousers. Still taking her time, she slid the zipper down and Lucius obliged by lifting his hips enough for her to slide the black material and his underwear down his legs.

"Impressive," Bellatrix announced as she gazed at Lucius's rock hard manhood. She'd had a few lovers, but Lucius stacked up rather well against them.

Lucius smirked, but any response he might have made turned into a low moan when Bellatrix wrapped her hand around his shaft and began to slowly move up and down. Closing his eyes, he briefly let himself enjoy her soft, feminine touch. However, the need to touch her quickly reasserted itself, and he opened his eyes and gave her a piercing gaze.

"I rather think you're overdressed, Miss Black," he said, taking her hand away from his manhood. Technically, he was still wearing his shirt and torn robes, although they were spread open and his trousers were around his ankles, but he was far more exposed than Bellatrix who was merely topless.

"We can fix that," Bellatrix replied with a smile.

Lifting herself up from Lucius's lap, she slid her dress all the way down her body, until she was standing in a pair of tiny black knickers. Hooking her fingers in the black scrap of lace, she teasingly pulled them down her legs, before retaking her place on Lucius's lap.

"Better?" she asked.

"Much," Lucius replied in a deep voice, running his hands down Bellatrix's curvaceous body and settling them on her thighs.

Leaning forward, Bellatrix connected their lips, reigniting their burning passion. As if someone had flipped a switch in them, the teasing stopped and their hands eagerly explored every bit of exposed flesh. Still kissing, Bellatrix lowered herself on Lucius. Their joining caused them both to pause briefly and look at each other, but then they exchanged excited smirks and reconnected their lips as they began to move together.

The room quickly filled with the sounds of their naked flesh pressing together and their heavy breathing and moaning. No words were exchanged between the two, but none were needed as they had sex, fast and furiously on the sofa in the library. The sex was very much driven by lust and the pair couldn't get enough of each other. When Bellatrix let out a loud cry and found her release, Lucius hadn't quite finished and he coaxed a second orgasm out of the witch on top of him, before finally finishing himself.

Collapsing back onto the sofa together, neither of them made a move to redress and re-join the party. For the time being they were content to lounge naked on the sofa, basking in the afterglow of their exertions. They might not have found any common ground earlier in the evening, but Lucius knew they'd now found something they both liked and could do together. Bellatrix may never have been the wife he'd pictured himself with on a day to day basis, but he knew for sure that his sex life was going to be explosive. Maybe the rest would come in time, but in the meantime Lucius knew he wouldn't be going without sex. Not that sex was a great basis on which to build a marriage, but they still had time to get to know each other and at least it was a connection they could build on.


	3. Chapter 3

In the weeks following their engagement, Lucius tried to get to know Bellatrix better, and to find something other than sex that they had in common. He made an effort to have dinner with her at least twice a week as he searched for some common ground between them. Sadly he made no progress as everything he was interested in, Bellatrix was uninterested in. Although Bellatrix didn't seem at all concerned by their lack of compatibility, and the one time Lucius had mentioned it, she'd merely laughed at him and told him they were compatible where it mattered – in the bedroom.

Even with Bellatrix's dismissal of their compatibility issues, Lucius was still determined to find some common ground with his wife to be. And since Bellatrix wasn't relenting and showing an interest in his hobbies and the things he liked, he was making an effort to try and bond with his fiancée over the things she liked to do.

In an effort to bond with Bellatrix, he'd agreed to accompany her to one the underground clubs she frequented, but as he got ready for the evening ahead, he wasn't quite as sure. Lucius was comfortable in almost any social situation, but he had no idea what lay ahead of him that evening. Bellatrix had been pretty cagey about the club she was taking him to, all she would say is that it was one of her favourite places to spend the evening.

By the time Bellatrix arrived at the penthouse, which he was using rather than taking her back to the manor, Lucius was a bag of nerves. Not that Bellatrix helped as she swept into the penthouse and immediately ordered him to change.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Lucius asked, looking down at his black trousers and pale blue shirt.

"It's too light," Bellatrix replied. She herself was in a tight fitting, deep red dress, which trailed dramatically on the floor. "Dark is the way to go this evening. At least change your shirt for a black one or a very dark one."

Deciding it was easier not to argue, Lucius retired to the bedroom and changed into a black shirt. Now he was dressed completely in black, so unless Bellatrix was going to complain about his hair, he couldn't get any darker.

"Perfect," Bellatrix crowed when he returned. "Very sexy."

Lucius couldn't help but smirk at the compliment. He and Bellatrix might not have had too much in common, but he had to admit she knew exactly what to say to keep on his good side. He suspected that if she truly disagreed with him, she would tell him so, but for now her tactic seemed to be to flatter him as often as she could. Although Lucius's instincts told him that Bellatrix wasn't to be underestimated, and if he messed up she could be a formidable witch to take on.

"Shall we go?" Bellatrix asked eagerly.

"Yes, let's go," Lucius agreed, checking he had everything.

Since Bellatrix was the one taking them to the club, they first had to leave the penthouse before she could apparate them to another part of London. When they arrived at their destination, Lucius was distinctly unimpressed to find they were merely in Knockturn Alley, the street known for its dark arts which was located behind the main wizarding shopping street of Diagon Alley. Lucius had visited Knockturn Alley both with his father and on his own, but he'd never really been a fan of the place as he thought it was too dirty. He knew you had to be careful dealing with dark arts, but he still thought the street could have been properly looked after and made more appealing. But then again, maybe the fact it was a complete dive kept those who didn't practise the dark arts away, and gave those that did some cover.

"I wasn't aware there was any sort of night life in Knockturn Alley," Lucius remarked, glancing around at the closed shops.

"It's a secret," Bellatrix replied with a teasing smile. "Only the chosen few know about this place."

"And just what sort of club is this place?" Lucius asked.

"There's a bit of all sorts," Bellatrix replied. "But you'll see soon enough."

Taking hold of Lucius's hand, Bellatrix dragged him down the street to a small green door. Lucius assumed the door led into one of the nearby shops, but when Bellatrix knocked three times, a small section of the door slid open, revealing a pair of dark eyes.

"Password," the person behind the door barked.

"Snake Eyes," Bellatrix answered.

The opening in the door snapped shut without the person behind it answering, but almost immediately the green door swung open. Bellatrix led the way through the doorway, and Lucius found himself standing in a dimly lit hallway. Standing just inside the door was a dark haired wizard wearing a black mask which covered the top half of his face.

"Have a nice evening," he said, handing both Bellatrix and Lucius a mask of their own as he slammed the door shut.

"We will," Bellatrix replied, tying the mask around her head. "Put it on, Lucius," she whispered when her fiancé made no move to wear his mask.

"And why are we wearing masks?" Lucius asked as he tied his own mask around his head. Not that he thought it would disguise who he was with his very recognisable platinum blond hair.

"Not everyone who comes here wants to be recognised," Bellatrix answered. "Besides, it's sort of sexy, don't you think?"

"I can't say masks do it for me," Lucius muttered as his fiancée took hold of his hand again and pulled him down a set of dark stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, Lucius found himself in a bar area. Unsurprisingly the décor was all dark, with black being the main theme and the splashes of colours coming from the bits of dark green, dark blue and dark red furnishings. A large dark wooden bar ran along the back wall, with several members of staff behind the bar, serving the customers. Everyone in the room were wearing masks, including the bar staff, and low music was playing in the background.

"There's some other rooms we can explore, but this is the main bar," Bellatrix explained as she led the way to the bar.

"And what's in the other rooms?" Lucius asked.

"There's usually a card game going on in one room," Bellatrix answered. "And there's also rooms focusing on various dark arts. The Dark Lord might even be here."

"The Dark Lord?" Lucius questioned with a frown, never having heard the name before.

"Lord Voldemort," Bellatrix whispered, clearly in awe of the name.

Now Lucius had heard of Lord Voldemort. He was a rumoured dark wizard, and legend had it he was descended from Salazar Slytherin himself. Back in Hogwarts, Lucius had heard stories about Lord Voldemort, and how he'd adopted the name in his later years of school and gathered fellow students around him who had a fancy for the Dark Arts. Lucius had also heard a few rumours that Lord Voldemort had continued to recruit like-minded people to surround him.

"You've met him?" Lucius asked. He wasn't sure he had any interest in meeting Lord Voldemort, but it was clear that the wizard was an idol of Bellatrix's.

"I have," Bellatrix replied with a wide smile. "You'll love him Lucius. He encourages people to embrace their inner darkness. He thinks the dark arts shouldn't be banned, and that they're only labelled as dark by people who don't understand them and fear them."

"I agree on that," Lucius said. "So called Dark Arts are all about perception. What's dark to one person isn't to another. It's all to do with the person who is defining the magic as dark."

"See, you're just the sort of person The Dark Lord would love to meet," Bellatrix enthused. "Let's grab a drink and go and see if he's here."

Lucius bought the drinks, moaning about the high price, and the pair settled down in a corner to drink them. Several people who passed greeted Bellatrix, despite her mask, indicating that she was a regular in the club. Bellatrix also pointed out a few people to Lucius, including the wizard she almost married, Rodolphus Lestrange, and his brother Rabastan.

"Let's explore," Bellatrix said once they'd finished their drinks.

Even though he would rather leave than see more of the club, Lucius followed his fiancée as she headed towards the door that led out of the bar and into a corridor lit with a dim green light. Bellatrix pointed out the room where the poker game would be taking place, as well as rooms were dark arts were been practised, but her focus was on the room at the end of the corridor. Striding over to the door, Bellatrix straightened her dress before knocking on the door.

"Enter," a deep voice called.

Bellatrix shot Lucius an excited grin as she took hold of his hand and pulled him into the room. The room looked remarkably like the Slytherin common room, and everywhere Lucius looked he was reminded of his former house at Hogwarts. Settled in an armchair in front of a roaring fire was a dark haired wizard with strange red eyes, and Bellatrix made a beeline for him.

"My Lord," Bellatrix greeted, bowing her head in the wizard's direction.

The wizard nodded in greeting and gave Bellatrix a small smile. "How nice to see you, my dear. Is this the fiancé you've been gushing about?"

"It is," Bellatrix replied.

"Welcome to the club," Lord Voldemort said to Lucius. "We don't use first names here, but I do know who you are."

"And I know who you are," Lucius replied.

"Good," Lord Voldemort said with a chuckle. "I do like to be recognised. Now sit down and we can talk."

Lucius figured he had no choice but to take a seat opposite the dark wizard. Bellatrix settled down beside him, and Lucius soon discovered that not only was she a regular in Voldemort's room, but that she was also a favourite of his. If Lucius didn't know better, he would have said the pair were attracted to each other, and were even flirting at times. But surely Bellatrix wouldn't flirt with another wizard when he was sitting beside her.

After an hour, Lord Voldemort was distracted by another couple of people entering his room, and Lucius used the opportunity to persuade Bellatrix they should go home. He'd actually enjoyed talking to Lord Voldemort, and agreed with a lot of what he said, however he could see an edge of insanity in the older wizard and he instinctively knew getting too involved with him could be dangerous. Now what he needed to do was get Bellatrix out of his grasp, but he knew he would have to move slowly with his fiancé to avoid upsetting her.

"So what did you think?" Bellatrix asked when they arrived back at Lucius's penthouse.

"It was different," Lucius replied.

"Would you go again?" Bellatrix questioned.

"I'll think about it," Lucius answered, pulling Bellatrix into his arms. "But right now, I don't want to talk about the dark arts or Lord Voldemort, or anything else to do with the club."

"So what do you want to talk about?" Bellatrix asked with a teasing smile.

"How about our wedding," Lucius replied. "We haven't set a date yet."

"I forgot to mention, Mother picked the date," Bellatrix said. "We're getting married next April."

"April?" Lucius frowned. "But that's a whole year away? Why the delay?"

"Preparations take time," Bellatrix answered with a shrug. "There's no way a wedding could be organised for the summer, and Mother dislikes winter weddings."

"And we must do what your mother wants," Lucius muttered. "Who says we have to have a big wedding."

"You know a small wedding isn't an option," Bellatrix chuckled. "Be patient, Lucius. I'll be your wife soon enough. And luckily for you, I'm not opposed to giving you all the perks you're going to get as a married man."

"What sort of perks are we talking about?" Lucius asked, his hands drifting down Bellatrix's back towards her backside.

"The sort of perks that involve being naked," Bellatrix responded, connecting their lips.

Even though the evening had left him feeling even more distant from his fiancée, Lucius was more than happy to take Bellatrix into the bedroom and spend a couple of hours rolling around in bed with her. Afterwards, Bellatrix drifted off to sleep, but Lucius found himself unable to settle. Quietly creeping out of bed, he pulled on a pair of pyjama bottoms, grabbed himself a glass of firewhisky and settled down in the front room.

More than ever, he was having doubts about his marriage to Bellatrix. The evening had shown him that Bellatrix was on the verge of being swallowed into the dark arts. He'd thought she just dabbled, and he had no problems with that, but he didn't want her involved with Lord Voldemort. The man was dangerous, and Lucius did not want his family to be involved with him.

Although family was another thing on Lucius's mind as try as he might, he just couldn't picture Bellatrix as a mother. Having children was something Lucius knew was expected of him, and his wife would have to be able to deliver. However, he just couldn't see Bellatrix as the maternal sort. Even if she did give him a child, he just couldn't picture her being the loving mother he'd known in his youth. Lucius may not have had a mother for long, but he'd had one long enough to know what sort of mother he wanted his son to have, and Bellatrix did not fit that picture. Not that there was anything that Lucius could do about it. He would just have to make the best of things, and hope he could turn Bellatrix into the wife he wanted, and the mother his son deserved.

Lucius snorted slightly at the idea of changing Bellatrix. Shaking his head, he finished his firewhisky and headed back into the bedroom to join his fiancée in bed. Changing Bellatrix wasn't a likely outcome, so he would just have to deal with what he had. Bellatrix might not be the mother he would have picked for his future son, but she was the mother he was going to get, and all Lucius could do was hope that when the time came to start a family, Bellatrix's hidden maternal instincts kicked in. Maybe Bellatrix would surprise him and she would end up being the perfect wife and mother, but Lucius wasn't holding his breath.


	4. Chapter 4

Narcissa Black arrived home from Hogwarts, eager to begin her adult life. In an ideal world she would start thinking about a career, but Narcissa knew it wasn't an option for her. She would be expected to marry a pureblood wizard and start a family, but it still didn't stop her from dreaming about the life she might have had. However, one thing she did plan on doing before she settled down was to embark on a summer long trip of Europe with a couple of her friends.

Unfortunately for Narcissa her plans were blown apart on her very first night back home. Over dinner she mentioned her plans to her parents, and her mother immediately shot her down.

"Why?" Narcissa demanded. "You've just let Bella do as she pleases since she left school. Why can't I have one summer with my friends?"

"You're needed here," Druella said. "Bellatrix is getting married soon."

"Next year," Narcissa argued.

She could hardly miss the fact her big sister was getting married, despite the fact she hadn't been involved in things so far. Bellatrix had written to her when the engagement to Lucius Malfoy had been arranged, and of course there were all the articles about the happy couple in the papers. You would have to be blind and deaf not to know that the Blacks and Malfoys were about to be united.

"It may be next year, but there's still a lot of planning involved," Druella countered.

"But what does that have to do with me?" Narcissa asked.

"You're going to help me," Druella said. "You know your sister is no good at this sort of thing."

"So I have to miss out on my trip, just to organise Bella's wedding?" Narcissa questioned in disbelief.

"Yes, you have to put the family first, Narcissa," Druella replied.

"Your mother's right," Cygnus interrupted, stopping Narcissa just as she was about to protest. "Family comes first. You will stay and help organise your sister's wedding."

"Doesn't look like I have much choice, does it," Narcissa muttered.

"Don't be a sourpuss, Cissa," Druella said. "Jealousy doesn't suit you."

"I am not jealous," Narcissa pouted, although she wasn't quite sure she believed herself.

The truth was, Narcissa was slightly jealous that her sister was engaged to the hottest wizard she'd ever seen. Since Lucius was only a year older than her, Narcissa had seen a lot of him in Hogwarts, and she'd developed a slight crush on him. Although to be honest there wasn't a witch at Hogwarts that wouldn't have hopped into Lucius's bed if he'd asked them. Sadly for Narcissa, she'd never been asked, and as far as she knew the blond wizard had never even noticed her. It was true her sister exhibited a sexiness she couldn't hope to emulate, but Narcissa knew she was attractive in her own way. She had long blonde hair, piercing blue eyes and a flawless complexion, and she knew she was more classically good looking than her sister. However, it was Bellatrix who had nabbed the hot wizard, and Narcissa would just have to learn to live with it and hope when her time came, she ended up with a wizard she was attracted to.

"So when will I get to meet my future brother-in-law?" Narcissa asked, not wanting her parents to pick up on her jealousy.

"Bellatrix said she and Lucius will call round this evening," Druella replied. "These days your sister spends a lot of time with Lucius in London."

"I thought he lived in the country," Narcissa remarked.

"His family home is in Wiltshire," Cygnus answered. "But he has a penthouse in London."

"And neither of you mind her spending so much time with Lucius before they're married?" Narcissa questioned. She knew her parents followed some old traditions, and she would have thought that included frowning on sex before marriage.

"It's good that they're getting to know each other," Druella said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "You should see them together, Cissa, they're so perfect for each other."

"I can't wait," Narcissa muttered under her breath.

Her parents both shot her an unimpressed look, but Narcissa diverted their attention by talking about school. Even though she knew she would never have a career, she'd still taken pride in her school work and she knew her parents loved the fact she achieved top grades. In fact she'd even been Head Girl, and her results were predicted to be the best in the year of students which had just graduated.

Narcissa managed to keep the topic away from Bellatrix and Lucius for the rest of the meal, but it was only a brief respite as no sooner was the meal over than her parents reminded her that Bellatrix was bringing her fiancé to the house for her to meet. The prospect of meeting Lucius made Narcissa slightly nervous, but it still didn't stop her from popping up to her bedroom and making sure she looked her best. She topped up her make-up, while still keeping it light and natural looking, and she brushed her long blonde hair until it shimmered. Smiling at her reflection, Narcissa returned back downstairs and settled down to wait for her sister to arrive.

An hour later, Narcissa was settled down with a book, and she was so involved in the story that she didn't hear the floo network. It was only when her parents got to their feet that she realised they weren't alone. Slipping her bookmark into her book, she put it to one side and elegantly rose to her feet just as Lucius entered the room behind Bellatrix.

"Cissy," Bellatrix cried, rushing over and embracing her sister in a rare show of sisterly affection.

"Hello, Bella," Narcissa replied as they broke apart. "You're looking great."

"I know," Bellatrix said, without a hint of modesty. "You're looking pretty good yourself, Cissy. You're growing up."

"Yes, I am," Narcissa said with a nod. She hated being considered the baby of the family, and the last thing she wanted was for Lucius to think of her as a child. "And you're getting married."

"I am," Bellatrix confirmed with a smug smirk. "Lucius honey, come and meet my baby sister."

Narcissa noted the way Lucius frowned slightly at the way her sister spoke to him. He soon disguised his annoyance and stepped forward with a welcoming smile on his face. However, his welcoming smile faltered slightly when his eyes connected with hers, and Narcissa was amazed to see his grey eyes scan over her appreciatively.

"It's very nice to meet you, Narcissa," Lucius said smoothly.

"You too, Lucius," Narcissa returned, smiling at her sister's fiancé.

"Why don't you two get acquainted," Bellatrix urged. She knew Lucius was finding it hard to cope with how little they had in common, so she was hoping that if he bonded with her sister, it would help him feel more comfortable with joining the family. "I've got a few things I want to discuss with Mother about the wedding."

"And I've got some work to do in the study," Cygnus said. "It was nice to see you, Lucius. You'll have to come to dinner one evening."

"I'd be delighted, Mr Black," Lucius replied politely.

"Bella, organise something with your mother," Cygnus ordered as he strode from the room.

"I'll get the elves to send you in some tea," Druella said as she ushered Lucius into a chair opposite the sofa Narcissa was sitting on.

"Make sure you impress him," Bellatrix whispered to her sister, before turning to her fiancé and giving him a peck on the cheek. "You don't mind keeping Cissy company while I talk to mother, do you?"

"Of course not," Lucius replied. "I've been looking forward to getting to know your sister."

"You two have fun," Bellatrix called as she trotted out of the room with her mother.

"I'm sorry," Narcissa said, giving Lucius a small smile.

"What for?" Lucius asked with a frown.

"I'm sure this isn't what you had in mind when Bellatrix brought you over," Narcissa replied. "Most men wouldn't appreciate being stuck with their fiancée's little sister."

"Maybe most men don't have a lovely witch as their fiancée's little sister," Lucius replied, his eyes once again flicking over Narcissa. She may not have been as overtly sexy as her sister, but Narcissa was a classy witch and quite honestly Lucius thought she could quite possibly be the most beautiful witch he'd ever seen.

"How do you know I'm lovely?" Narcissa teased, feeling at ease with Lucius. "I could be a complete bitch."

"I don't believe that," Lucius said with a chuckle.

A house elf appeared with tea, briefly disturbing the pair, but once the elf had left the refreshments it departed the room. Narcissa poured Lucius a cup of tea and handed it to him, before pouring her own cup and settling back down opposite the handsome blond wizard.

"So Narcissa, what are your plans now you've left school?" Lucius asked.

"I was going to go travelling with some friends," Narcissa replied. "But Mother put a stop to that."

"Why?" Lucius asked.

"Your wedding," Narcissa answered with a soft chuckle. "Apparently I'm needed to help organise it. Probably because Bellatrix won't be bothered to help with the finer details."

"That sounds like Bella," Lucius said with a wry smile. He knew enough about his fiancée to know dealing with the tedious job of planning a wedding wasn't her thing. "But it's not really fair on you missing your holiday."

"It's not, but family comes first," Narcissa replied with a shrug. "I'll just have to take the trip at a later date."

"What sort of holiday was it going to be?" Lucius asked.

"We were going to travel all over Europe," Narcissa explained. "I had a lists of museums, art galleries and historical buildings I wanted to see. We were going to go to the opera in Italy, and visit the ancient ruins in Greece. Maybe one day, I'll get to see it all."

"It sounds like it would be a great trip," Lucius said. The holiday sounded ideal, but he knew such a cultural experience wouldn't appeal to Bellatrix. "I hope you get to take it one day."

"So do I," Narcissa replied. "So what about you, have you given any thought to where you're going to take Bella on honeymoon?"

"No," Lucius answered. "We're not getting married until next year, I've got plenty of time to decide."

"It'll come round quicker than you think," Narcissa warned. "Although I'll warn you now, my sister is hard to please. Every time we went on holiday as children, she found something to complain about."

"So you've got no tips to help me please her?" Lucius asked with a grin.

"Sorry, you're on your own," Narcissa returned, smiling back at Lucius. "But surely you're used to handling Bella by now."

"I'm getting used to it," Lucius replied. Glancing around to check his fiancée hadn't returned, he leaned forward and addressed Narcissa in a whispered tone. "Although, I will admit I never imagined being with someone who was such hard work."

"But where's the challenge in being with someone who does everything you say?" Narcissa teased. "Surely you don't want to marry a doormat, Lucius."

"No, I do want a witch with a bit of spark," Lucius replied, his grey eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Bellatrix has plenty of spark," Narcissa said quietly, lowering her gaze as she felt she was starting to stare.

"Yes, she does," Lucius agreed softly. "So tell me more about yourself, Narcissa. I have to admit, I don't really remember you from school. You were in Slytherin though, weren't you?"

"I was," Narcissa replied. "But it's not really surprising that you don't remember me. Why would you remember a quiet bookworm like me?"

"You, a bookworm?" Lucius laughed. "Sorry Narcissa, I don't buy it."

"But it's true," Narcissa said laughing along with Lucius. "I am a bookworm. My energies went on school work."

"Even so, I would have noticed you," Lucius persisted. "How could I have missed someone as beautiful as you?"

Narcissa blushed at the compliment. It wasn't the first time a wizard had called her beautiful, but it was the first time a wizard of Lucius's calibre had noticed her. If only it wasn't too late and Lucius wasn't already engaged to her oldest sister.

"I'm really nothing special," Narcissa muttered.

"I think you are," Lucius said quietly. "And I think some wizard is going to be very lucky to have you."

"I guess we'll have to see, I could end up an old maid," Narcissa said lightly, trying to break through the flirtatious mood that had settled on the room.

"It'll never happen," Lucius vowed. "Some lucky bugger will snap you up, Narcissa, and he'll be the envy of all his friends."

"And I'm sure Bellatrix is the envy of all her friends," Narcissa said.

"I doubt that," Lucius chuckled.

"Don't by coy Lucius," Narcissa chuckled. "Unless you've changed since leaving school, you're very aware that you're a very good looking wizard. You know you're a catch, Lucius."

"I suppose some would consider me a catch," Lucius admitted.

Narcissa laughed, pleased the tension had been broken. Eager to steer the conversation back to safer ground, she asked Lucius about his work. Lucius was only too happy to talk about his work, as in all the months he'd been engaged to Bellatrix, she'd never shown the slightest interest in what he did for a living.

"It must be so nice to have a career," Narcissa sighed.

"You would want that?" Lucius asked, genuinely surprised by the admission.

"I would love it," Narcissa confided. "In an ideal world, I would be training to be a healer and work with children."

"Why can't you do it?" Lucius asked.

"You know why," Narcissa replied with a small smile. "Chances are after you and Bella are married, Father will find a husband for me. I'll then be a wife and mother, and work won't be an option."

"You could always break free and live the life you want," Lucius suggested.

"I could," Narcissa agreed. "But it would mean giving up my family."

"And that's a price you're not willing to pay," Lucius stated softly.

"Not unless the prize is worth it," Narcissa replied. "My sister Andromeda walked away from us, well technically she was pushed by my parents, but she's got everything she ever wanted. She's married to the man she loves, and they have a daughter. For her, it was probably worth losing her family."

"But it's not for you?" Lucius asked.

"A chance at a job isn't worth losing my family over," Narcissa said with a shrug. "I'll just live the life expected of me and make the most of it. I'm sure you understand such obligations."

"I do," Lucius whispered. His future life with Bellatrix was an obligation, even if right at this moment, he was sorely tempted to abandon that obligation and give in to temptation with her younger sister.

Luckily for Lucius, Bellatrix and her mother chose that moment to re-enter the room, leaving his conversation with Narcissa at an end. Narcissa was almost as relieved as Lucius to see her sister and mother as once again the conversation had taken an uncomfortable turn. She'd never denied being attracted to Lucius, but she hadn't expected to feel such an intense connection to him. He seemed to be everything she wanted in a man, but sadly he belonged to her sister. She would just have to forget about him, and hope she felt the same connection with the wizard she ended up married to.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N – I just want to assure people that I am fine, and thank you all for your concern. There was no update yesterday as on Sunday morning some idiot (not me, by the way), hoovered up the internet wire and pulled the entire router off the wall, so we've had no internet since then. But it's back up and running now so normal service will resume.**

* * *

In the weeks following Lucius's introduction to Narcissa he did his best to ignore the connection he'd felt to his fiancée's younger sister. One meeting was enough to tell him he was far more suited to Narcissa, but it was too late to change things now. He was engaged to Bellatrix, and he would have forget all about Narcissa. Not that it was easy as Bellatrix clearly loved her sister and she was always trying to include her in their plans. Fortunately, Narcissa tended to be busy a lot of the time and she didn't have time to play third wheel to her oldest sister and her fiancé.

However, just as Lucius was coming to terms with Narcissa being his future sister-in-law, fate threw them together. Or rather, Bellatrix threw them together when she changed a long standing arrangement with Lucius. Weeks ago, Abraxas had given Lucius two tickets to an influential charity evening and ordered him to take Bellatrix and impress the right sort of people. However, on the evening of the charity dinner, Bellatrix had arrived at the penthouse in London not looking at all as if she was planning on attending a high profile charity evening. She was dressed very sexily, in a tight, low cut black dress, dramatic make-up and her wild black hair untamed.

"That was not the look I was expecting," Lucius remarked upon seeing his fiancée. He instantly hardened at the sight of Bellatrix, but she looked more like she was going clubbing than to a posh charity dinner.

"I can't go with you, Lucius," Bellatrix said with a shrug of her shoulder.

"What do you mean, you can't go with me?" Lucius bit out in annoyance, his arousal dampened by his fiancée's revelation.

"I've got to go the club tonight," Bellatrix replied. "He's asked to see me," she whispered, leaning closer to Lucius even though they were alone.

"You're cancelling for another wizard?" Lucius questioned

"Not just any wizard, Lucius," Bellatrix corrected. "The Dark Lord. You don't say no to him, Lucius."

"No, you don't back out of plans with your fiancé," Lucius argued. "I'm going to look a right fool, Bella. Everyone knows we're meant to be attending. What am I supposed to say, sorry Bellatrix can't be here because she's in some dingy dark arts club?"

"I'm not letting you down completely, Lucius," Bellatrix said with a pout. "I've arranged a stand-in."

"A stand-in," Lucius repeated, hardly able to believe the gall of his fiancée. "You're giving me a stand-in."

"I'm giving you someone who'll impress these people more than I will," Bellatrix replied. "You know me Lucius, I'm not the charming type. You'll do better with Narcissa by your side."

"Narcissa?" Lucius squeaked, taken aback by the mention of Bellatrix's stunning sister.

"Yes, Narcissa will be replacing me this evening," Bellatrix replied, not noticing her fiancé's strange reaction to the mention of her baby sister. "You can tell everyone I'm feeling under the weather and my lovely sister stepped in at the last moment. It really is the best solution, Lucius."

"The best solution is to keep your word," Lucius grouched.

"I'll make it up to you later," Bellatrix promised with a saucy smirk as she wrapped her arms around Lucius's neck and rubbed her provocative body up against his. "I'll come round when I've finished at the club and you're back from your charity dinner. I'll be all yours, and you can do whatever you want to me."

"That's some promise, Bella," Lucius murmured, unable to stop himself from reacting favourably to having Bellatrix pressed right against him.

"One I'm looking forward to keeping," Bellatrix purred, slipping her hand in between them and rubbing Lucius's erection, pressed against his smart, black trousers.

"Maybe we could make a start now," Lucius suggested, his hand finding the daring slit in the side of Bellatrix's dress and sliding over her bare thigh.

Lucius's hand had just reached Bellatrix's lacy knickers when the doorbell rang behind them. Instantly, Bellatrix pulled away from Lucius and whirled to answer the door. When the door was opened, Lucius was confronted with Narcissa standing on the threshold of the penthouse, looking a million Galleons. While Bellatrix was sexy and obvious in her tight, black dress, Narcissa looked elegant and beautiful. She was wearing an ice blue floor length dress which complemented her sparkling blue eyes. She had a delicate, white shawl wrapped around her arms and her long blonde hair had been twisted into an elegant bun on top of her head.

"You look perfect, Cissy," Bellatrix cooed, ushering her sister into the penthouse. "Doesn't she look lovely, Lucius?"

"Stunning," Lucius replied honestly, unable to tear his eyes from Narcissa. Suddenly Bellatrix's promises of debauchery sounded sordid and unappealing in comparison to an evening with her sister.

"I really should be off," Bellatrix said as she gave Lucius a kiss on the cheek and whispered a reminder about later in his ear. "Thank you for this, Cissy," she added to her sister before leaving the penthouse in a hurry and vanishing from sight the moment she was out in the hallway.

"Well this is an unexpected result," Lucius said, trying to smile and keep the moment from getting tense.

"Unexpected?" Narcissa's face creased into a frown, before lighting up with understanding. "She didn't tell you, did she? She waited until now to break the news."

"How long have you know about this?" Lucius asked.

"She asked me if I could stand in for her last week," Narcissa replied. "I'm sorry Lucius, I thought she'd told you. If you would rather, I could go home and you can go to the dinner alone."

"No, I'd love it if you accompanied me," Lucius said, giving Narcissa a genuine smile. It may have been unexpected, and if given the chance he might not have accepted the substitution, but Narcissa was ready and willing to go to the charity dinner with him, so he wasn't going to refuse her generosity. "And thank you, Narcissa."

"For what?" Narcissa asked.

"Agreeing to do this for your sister," Lucius replied. "These charity evenings can be deadly dull, and I'm grateful I don't have to go alone."

"I really don't mind," Narcissa said with a smile. "You never know, it might turn out to be a fun evening."

Lucius had no doubt that the dinner itself would be boring, but the evening might be bearable with Narcissa by his side. At least he knew he had intelligent conversation for the evening, and he found himself growing increasingly pleased that his fiancée had let him down and her sister had stepped up to help him out.

"If you're ready, we should get going," Lucius said. "Would you like to take the floo, or is side along apparition okay with you?"

"Side along apparition is fine," Narcissa said, offering her arm to Lucius. She was perfectly capable of apparating herself, but she knew etiquette dictated that well-mannered wizards always took the lead in apparating in public events.

Smiling at Narcissa, Lucius tucked her arm in his and pulling out his wand he apparated them to the fancy hotel the charity evening was being held at. Giving his name to the wizard on the door of the ballroom where the dinner was due to take place, Lucius walked into the ballroom smiling proudly with Narcissa on his arm. Grabbing two champagne flutes from a passing waiter he handed one to Narcissa and asked her if she was ready for the evening ahead.

"I'm ready to be your charming partner for the evening," Narcissa replied with a warm smile. Bellatrix had made it clear that she was to make a good impression at the dinner, not that Narcissa had needed tips on how to impress people as she did it with far more ease than her older sister.

"I'm sure you'll be great," Lucius returned as he steered Narcissa across the room and over to a couple of acquaintances of his father that he needed to impress for an upcoming business deal.

Sure enough, Narcissa was a great asset to have on his arm, and Lucius was thrilled by the easy way in which she engaged with people. Narcissa had being charming off to a fine art, she subtly flirted and charmed the men, although not in an obvious way like her sister would have done. Despite being one of the most beautiful women in the room she didn't alienate the other witches. She was quite happy to chat to the wives of the wizards Lucius was talking to about fashion or whatever else the witch in question had an interest in.

"The pair of you really do make an exquisite couple," the Deputy Minister for Magic said as Lucius and Narcissa took their seats for the dinner part of the evening.

"We're not a couple," Narcissa said with a light laugh. "Lucius is engaged to my sister, Bellatrix."

"What a strange arrangement, bringing your sister-in-law to the party instead of your fiancée," the Deputy Minister's wife remarked.

"My sister is feeling unwell tonight," Narcissa said, the lie falling smoothly off her lips. "I stepped in at the last minute."

"How nice," the Deputy Minister said, smiling warmly at Narcissa. "That is a lovely thing to do for your sister, Narcissa."

"Bellatrix didn't want Lucius to be let down," Narcissa replied, smiling back at the older wizard. "She was devastated when she couldn't accompany him tonight."

"Maybe next time she can come," the Deputy Minister's wife said, turning to smile at Lucius.

"Definitely," Lucius replied brightly, not letting his annoyance at Bellatrix show. He admired Narcissa for the way she was looking out for her sister and portraying her as the loving fiancée, but he couldn't help but be annoyed at the lies they were forced to tell because Bellatrix preferred a night of the Dark Arts than a night with him.

After the dinner, which was a magnificent three course meal, came a charity auction. Lucius knew he had to be seen bidding on something, but he also wanted to end up with something. Catalogues had accompanied the start of the auction, and Lucius flicked through trying to decide the best things to bid on. He found several things that took his interest, but his attention was really captivated by a delicate silver and aquamarine bracelet.

With one eye on the bracelet, Lucius made a few bids on items he knew would go to other buyers. However, once the bracelet was up for auction he got serious and after checking out the competition, he quickly took charge of the auction and won the bid with ease. In the end he spent a little over a hundred and fifty Galleons, even though he suspected the bracelet wasn't worth quite that much. It was a lovely piece of jewellery, but it wasn't designer or antique. Still, it was perfect for his purposes.

"Wow, it's a stunning bracelet," Narcissa remarked when Lucius collected the item at the end of the auction and showed it to her. "Is it for Bellatrix?"

"No, it's for you," Lucius replied.

"Me?" Narcissa repeated with a gasp. "You can't give me a bracelet, Lucius."

"Why not?" Lucius asked.

"It's not appropriate," Narcissa replied, a light blush staining her pale complexion. "You're engaged to my sister."

"Then it's a good job it's not an engagement ring," Lucius replied with a chuckle as he removed the bracelet from its box and undid the clasp. Taking hold of Narcissa's wrist, he fastened the bracelet around it before she could protest. "It's a thank you."

"Thank you for what?" Narcissa asked as she admired the bracelet.

"For tonight," Lucius answered. "You didn't have to come, but you did, and I've had a great time. Now please don't refuse me as it's impolite to turn down well-meaning gifts."

"In that case, thank you Lucius, I love it," Narcissa replied with a soft smile.

"I'm pleased," Lucius said. "Would you care for a dance?" He asked as the band started to play.

"I'd be delighted," Narcissa replied, slipping her hand into Lucius's and allowing him to lead her out onto the dance floor.

As they danced both Lucius and Narcissa pretended not to notice how perfectly they fitted into each other's arms. They also pretended not to notice the sparks that flew when they caught each other's eyes. However, neither of them could avoid noticing when Lucius began to become aroused and his erection pressed against Narcissa's hip as they danced. However, they didn't say anything about it as they separated at the end of the dance and went to get a drink. Even so the air was thick with sexual tension and by the end of the evening they were both more than happy to say goodnight and for Lucius to drop Narcissa off at home before returning to the penthouse.

As promised Bellatrix arrived a little over an hour after Lucius returned to the penthouse, and after a brief enquiry about his night, she dragged him off to the bedroom. As usual the sex was explosive, but Lucius couldn't get Narcissa out of his head. Try as he might, he couldn't help but wish the curvaceous, wild witch in his bed was her sleek and sophisticated sister. But she wasn't Narcissa, and like it or not, Lucius knew he would never have Narcissa the way he wanted her. She was destined to be his sister-in-law and nothing else.


	6. Chapter 6

A couple of weeks after his evening out with Narcissa, Lucius was looking forward to spending the weekend with his friends. Since their evening out, he'd been unable to get Narcissa out of his head, and every moment he was with Bellatrix he kept comparing her to her sister and finding her coming up short in comparison. However, he was determined to forget about Narcissa and a weekend with his friends seemed just the thing he needed to get things back on track for him. He wasn't planning on confiding in his friends about Narcissa, but a weekend without having to think about any member of the Black family was a welcome relief.

On the Friday Lucius decided to finish work early, but since some of the clothes he wanted to take with him were at the penthouse he called there first. However, as soon as he entered the penthouse via the floo network he knew the place wasn't empty as it should have been. Quietly dumping his work robes and briefcase on a nearby chair, he pulled out his wand and carefully set about trying to find out who was in his penthouse. Stepping out of the small floo room and into the hallway, he spotted the living room door was open slightly and he could hear quite voices coming from the room. With his wand at the ready, he pushed open the door to the living room and froze in shock when he found Bellatrix lounging on the sofa, a spread of magazines over the coffee table, while Narcissa sat on the floor in front of her sister.

"Hello, Lucius," Bellatrix greeted, sounding slightly surprised to see her fiancé in his own penthouse.

"Bella," Lucius returned with an incline of his head as he slipped his wand back into his pocket and turned to Narcissa with a slightly more welcoming smile. "Hello, Narcissa. What's going on here?"

"We're looking for wedding dresses," Bellatrix replied. "Or rather Cissy's going through the magazines and showing me the best ones. You have no idea how dull is it trying to find the perfect dress."

"I always thought brides loved to shop for the perfect dress," Lucius remarked.

"Well I have better things to do with my time than trail from shop to shop," Bellatrix snorted with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I'm seriously thinking about letting Cissy pick the dress for me."

"Oh no you don't," Narcissa piped up as she elegantly rose to her feet and smoothed down the black and purple print skirt she was wearing. "I've already said I would help you find a dress, Bella, but I won't pick one for you."

"Spoilsport," Bellatrix retorted, sticking her tongue out at her younger sister as she finally got to her feet and walked over to Lucius. "You think she should help me, don't you darling?"

"Your sister is helping, she's just refusing to let you put all the work on her," Lucius replied. "Maybe if finding a dress is such a chore we shouldn't be getting married."

"Don't be silly, Lucius, I'm only joking," Bellatrix said with a tinkling laugh, which Lucius suspected was fake and hid her worry that he might just be serious about calling off the wedding. "In fact Narcissa was just telling me about a bridal shop in Paris. Apparently it's the very best place in Europe to source wedding dresses."

"It does come very highly recommended," Narcissa said, trying to ignore the way her heart had soared when Lucius mentioned not getting married. Even though she knew he hadn't meant it, she'd been unable to stop the flicker of hope that entered her heart at his throw-away remark.

"Then you must go and visit it," Lucius told his fiancée. "Why don't you and Narcissa go to Paris next week, you can use the Malfoy penthouse in the city."

"That would be great, Lucius," Bellatrix replied, throwing her arms around her fiancé's neck and giving him a searing kiss.

As Bellatrix kissed him, Lucius was very aware of Narcissa in the room and even though Bellatrix was the witch he was marrying, he felt as though he was betraying Narcissa by kissing her. Smoothly he removed himself from Bellatrix's embrace, and sent her back to her sister to plan their trip to Paris.

"I've got a few things to do, I'll be in my study if you want me," Lucius said, eager to get away from the two sisters.

Making a hasty retreat, Lucius found himself in his study with no work to do. Since he was going away for the weekend, he hadn't brought any work home with him. Still, he remained in the sanctuary of his study, waiting until his fiancée and her sister had gone. Although it was only just occurring to him that he hadn't asked Bellatrix just what she was doing at the penthouse. Since their engagement he'd gotten used to having her around the place, and having her turn up unannounced, but he'd never before found her in residence when he wasn't home.

Half an hour later he had the chance to ask Bellatrix why she was at the penthouse when she sauntered into the study and announced that Narcissa had gone home.

"I like it here," Bellatrix answered with a casual shrug of her shoulders. "Besides, if we were at home, Mother would be throwing her opinion in on the dress. I love my mother, but she's got the dress sense of a blind owl. I trust Cissy's opinion and I know she'll help steer me in the right direction. You don't mind us being here though, do you? I am your fiancée, Lucius."

"I'm well aware of that, Bella. And no, I don't mind you being here," Lucius said, smiling slight at the witch he was going to marry.

If he was being honest he did mind her letting herself into his penthouse, but he was grateful that it was the penthouse she was making herself at home in and not the manor. He really didn't think he was ready to have Bellatrix taking over his wing of the manor, although he knew it would be happening once they were married next year.

"And you're really sure we can use the penthouse is Paris?" Bellatrix checked.

"Of course, just let me know what days you're wanting to go and I'll make sure the place is ready for you. I can even give you and your sister some money so you can have a spending spree," Lucius said. "Nothing is too good for the future Mrs Malfoy."

"You really are the perfect fiancé," Bellatrix purred as she sexily sashayed over to Lucius and stood in front of him with a sinful smirk on her full red lips. "I should thank you for the Paris trip."

"Just what did you have in mind?" Lucius asked with a smirk, recognising the lustful look in his fiancée's dark eyes.

"I'll think of something appropriate," Bellatrix replied with a low chuckle as she pulled Lucius's chair away from his desk and sank elegantly to her knees in front of him.

Knowing exactly what Bellatrix had planned, Lucius sat back to enjoy himself, instantly feeling himself begin to rise to the occasion. Without preamble, Bellatrix reached out with her perfectly manicured hand and unbuckled Lucius's belt. When she then slid down the zipper on his trousers, Lucius lifted his hips to assist her in pulling his trousers down his legs. Not one to mess about, Bellatrix also yanked his underwear down, leaving Lucius sitting in just his shirt and tie.

"I think someone is getting pleased to see me," Bellatrix chuckled, running her blood red fingernails down the length of Lucius's half-hard manhood.

Lucius let out a groan that was part pleasure and part pain when Bellatrix's nails dug into him. With another low, sexy chuckle, Bellatrix wrapped her hand around his partial erection and within two minutes she had him hard as a rock and ready for action.

"You're so responsive, Lucius," Bellatrix murmured, lowering her head and running her tongue down the length of his erection.

"And you're such a tease," Lucius shot back, reaching out to tangle his hand in Bellatrix's wild hair.

"And don't you just love it," Bellatrix retorted saucily as she looked up at Lucius through her thick, dark eyelashes.

Keeping eye-contact with her fiancé, Bellatrix took Lucius into her mouth. Letting out a groan of pleasure, Lucius let his eyes slide shut as he revelled in Bellatrix's expert touch. His fiancée knew exactly what he liked and how to get the best response from him, and within ten minutes he was a panting mess, his hand well and truly entangled in Bellatrix's hair as he held her in position in front of him. One of the things Lucius liked most about Bellatrix was that she never shied away at the vital moment, and as he tumbled over the edge, she remained on her knees, coaxing out every last second of his orgasm.

"Now, I think it's time for me to get some pleasure," Bellatrix purred as she rose to her feet, licking her lips slightly.

"I'm going to need some time to recover," Lucius replied from where he was slumped in his chair, half naked and fully sated from the pleasure he'd just received.

"Something tells me you'll be able to recover just fine," Bellatrix answered, fixing her fiancé with a bold stare.

Reaching behind her, Bellatrix slid down the zipper on her dress and let the slinky material slide down her body. Lucius openly appraised the sight of his fiancée in her skimpy red and black underwear, but the sight got even better when Bellatrix shimmed out of the lacy underwear, leaving her standing completely naked aside from her sky high red heels.

"Suddenly I'm feeling full of energy," Lucius said with a smirk as she reached for his fiancée and pulled her onto his lap. For the first time in weeks, Narcissa wasn't in his head as he spent several hours with his smoking hot fiancée, having smoking hot sex.

* * *

 _ **...**_

* * *

Narcissa had always wanted to go to Paris, but she never expected the trip would come about while she was helping her sister shop for a wedding dress in order to marry the wizard Narcissa was becoming increasingly convinced was the perfect fit for her. Narcissa had tried to deny the connection she felt towards Lucius, but every time she saw him she got butterflies in her stomach, and every time they talked she couldn't help but be drawn to him even more. She hated herself for developing feelings for the wizard her sister was going to marry, but she was learning that feelings couldn't be controlled and she had definitely had no control over the fact she was slowly falling in love with Lucius Malfoy.

Narcissa had hoped that helping Bellatrix pick out a wedding dress would help her finally deal with her feelings. After all, once she saw Bellatrix in her wedding dress it might help her face the fact that the wedding was going ahead, and there was nothing she could do about it. Pining over Lucius was just hurting her even more, and Narcissa knew she had to find a way to get over the blond wizard before he actually did marry her sister.

Sadly for Narcissa, the trip to Paris was not what she was expecting. Bellatrix had arranged for them to spend four days in the French capital, but it had quickly become obvious that she planned on spending very little of that time with Narcissa. Once they were settled in the luxurious penthouse, Bellatrix informed Narcissa that she wasn't planning on babysitting her. She would visit the wedding boutique for the appointment Narcissa had arranged, but other than that she had plans of her own and she didn't want her sister hanging around with her.

The end result was that Narcissa spent two days and two evenings entertaining herself while Bellatrix came and went from the penthouse without telling her where she was going or what she was doing. Narcissa had tried visiting some of the sights she'd always longed to see, but it just wasn't the same on her own. Everyone else she saw seemed to have someone with them, and wandering around the city of love on her own just made Narcissa sad and reminded her that until Bellatrix was married her own life was on hold, and that included finding a husband.

Fortunately on the third day it was time for Bellatrix to visit the wedding boutique, so at least Narcissa wasn't on her own. However, it didn't turn out to be the day of sisterly bonding Narcissa had hoped for. Right from the off, Bellatrix seemed uninterested in the dresses and she seemed reluctant to try them on. When she did finally come across a dress she liked, she asked Narcissa to try it on for her.

"But why?" Narcissa asked. "Seeing it on me won't help you make a decision about it. We're different sizes and have different colouring. It won't look the same on you as it does on me."

"I know that, but I want to get a feel for what the dress looks like on an actual person," Bellatrix replied. "All these dresses look lovely on the hangers, but on a person they could be horrid."

"I doubt any of these dresses are horrid," Narcissa muttered, glancing around to check none of the staff had heard Bellatrix's remarks. "They're all so gorgeous."

"Just try the dress on, Cissy," Bellatrix ordered, pushing the long ivory dress into her little sister's arms.

Narcissa knew it wasn't worth arguing with Bellatrix so she retreated into one of the changing rooms to try on the dress. She honestly didn't know what her sister hoped to achieve by seeing her in the dress, but to avoid an argument she slipped into the long gown. The dress was a bit too low cut for Narcissa's liking, and the skirt clung to her legs too much, but she had to admit the style was very much her sister's. Bellatrix liked to accent her sexuality, and Narcissa knew her sister would make the dress she was wearing look as sexy as hell. Once she was in the dress, Narcissa re-emerged from the dressing room to find her sister impatiently waiting for her.

"That's it," Bellatrix confirmed with a nod. "That's the dress. Let's buy it, and I can have it altered back home."

"You're buying it without even trying it on?" Narcissa questioned, not at all happy that she'd worn her sister's wedding dress. It made her feel sick that she was standing in the dress her sister would be wearing when she married Lucius.

"I am," Bellatrix answered with a nod. "Now go and get it off, Cissy."

Narcissa trooped back into the changing room and removed the dress. Pulling on her own clothes, she left the dressing room with the dress and handed it over to her sister. Bellatrix promptly paid for the dress, and after having it packaged properly, they left the shop and headed back towards the penthouse.

"It's still early, Bella, I thought we could do some shopping," Narcissa said. "It would be nice to spend some time together."

"Sorry Cissy, I've got things to do," Bellatrix replied with an unconcerned shrug.

"But we go home tomorrow, and this is the only time we've spent together," Narcissa argued.

"At least you've seen Paris," Bellatrix countered. "Consider yourself lucky, Narcissa. Lucius has paid for this entire trip, so the least you could do is be grateful."

"I am grateful for the trip, I just would have liked to spend some time with my sister," Narcissa said.

"Maybe we can grab a drink before we return to the penthouse," Bellatrix said, giving into her sister's persuasion.

Knowing she wasn't going to get anything else from her sister, Narcissa accepted the proposal and the two witches stopped in a nearby bar for a drink. As they talked, Bellatrix mentioned the wedding and although she'd seemed less than enthused earlier, Narcissa got the impression she was really looking forward to marrying Lucius. Maybe it was just organising the wedding that didn't appeal to her, but she was actually looking forward to marrying Lucius and spending the rest of her life with him.

"Do you love Lucius?" Narcissa asked as they finished their drinks.

"Love?" Bellatrix laughed. "Love is overrated, Cissy. I like Lucius and we work well together. We're a good match, and that's what important."

"But you don't love him?" Narcissa pressed. "You don't get butterflies when you see him? You don't think about him when he's not around?"

"No, I do not," Bellatrix replied haughtily. "Why? Do you have those sort of feelings for someone, Cissy?"

"No," Narcissa lied, attempting to smile at her older sister. "I've just read about love, and I guess I want it for myself."

"Don't, you'll only be disappointed," Bellatrix said wisely. "You'll never meet a man that makes you feel that way, Narcissa. The best you can hope for to find someone who is a good match for you, like I've managed with Lucius. You'll never have true love Narcissa, so don't waste your time searching for it."

"I won't," Narcissa replied with a wistful sigh.

Narcissa already knew she would never marry for love as the wizard she loved was marrying her sister. The sooner she accepted it, the better, and then she could begin her own search for a husband. She didn't know who that husband would be, but one thing she did know was that it wouldn't be Lucius Malfoy.


	7. Chapter 7

Lucius had never intended to gate-crash his fiancée's trip to Paris, but when he found himself with nothing to do over the weekend and he was just mooching around the manor, his father suggested he go and surprise Bellatrix. Knowing Narcissa was also in Paris, Lucius was reluctant to make the trip, but boredom eventually overcame him and he arrived in the penthouse around lunchtime on the Saturday, which was Bellatrix and Narcissa's third day in the French capital. He had no idea how the rest of the weekend would go, he was only hoping he hadn't made a massive mistake.

Lucius's trip had been so spur of the moment he hadn't even packed an overnight bag, and when he arrived in the penthouse to find it empty he seriously contemplated returning home. However, he stuck around and less than an hour after his arrival the front door to the penthouse opened and Bellatrix and Narcissa entered. Narcissa was carrying a deep blue garment bag, but other than that they seemed totally devoid of shopping bags.

"Lucius!" Bellatrix halted in the hallway when she saw her fiancé, a distinctly frosty glare on her face.

"Surprise," Lucius replied weakly. It was clear Bellatrix was not happy to see him, and he was trying his hardest not to focus on Narcissa who at least had smiled at his presence.

"What are you doing here?" Bellatrix demanded, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at Lucius as though she'd caught him misbehaving in some way.

"I thought I would surprise you, but clearly you're not at all happy to see me," Lucius retorted sharply.

"Of course I'm happy to see you," Bellatrix said, her tone and demeanour softening as she smiled at her fiancé. "I just didn't expect you."

"That is the definition of a surprise," Lucius pointed out. "I thought we could see some sights, and then I could treat you both to a nice dinner."

"That sounds lovely, but maybe I should stay here," Narcissa offered. "I don't want to be a third wheel."

"Nonsense, you wouldn't be anything of the sort," Lucius said, flashing Narcissa a wide smile. He understood what she was trying to do, but quite honestly he would feel terrible leaving her behind while he and Bellatrix enjoyed a night on the town.

"Actually, this could be the perfect solution," Bellatrix mused thoughtfully.

"The perfect solution to what?" Lucius asked.

"Well, I've sorted my dress," Bellatrix said, gesturing to the bag Narcissa had slung over her arm. "So there's no need for me to stay in France. I've got things to do at home, so I could leave. You two could stay another night, and Lucius, you could show Cissy the sights. I know the pair of you would just love traipsing around museums and art galleries all afternoon."

"You want to go home?" Lucius looked at his fiancée in disbelief, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. "I've just arrived and you want to go home."

"I'll leave you two to talk," Narcissa said as she squeezed past Bellatrix and darted down the hallway to the spare room she was staying in.

Narcissa had no sooner shut the bedroom door when Lucius rounded on Bellatrix, demanding to know what was so important that she had to rush home. Unsurprisingly, Bellatrix's motives centred on the dark arts club she frequented and the dark wizard she was growing increasingly in awe of. Lucius could sense the pull Lord Voldemort had on his fiancée, but he had no idea how to counteract it. It was becoming increasingly clear that Bellatrix would rather be with her precious Dark Lord than with the wizard she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

"Please Lucius," Bellatrix begged. "Do this for me. Cissy was so looking forward to this trip, and I'm afraid I haven't been much company for her. You know these cultural things bore me to tears. Please just keep my sister company and show her what Paris has to offer. Just one night, and you can come home tomorrow."

"I have no objection to taking Narcissa out for the afternoon," Lucius said. In fact he rather liked the idea as he knew going to a museum or an art gallery wasn't the sort of activity he could enjoy with his fiancée. "What I don't understand is why you can't stick around and join us for dinner. We'll be going home tomorrow, so what difference does a few hours make?"

"This is something I have to do," Bellatrix insisted stubbornly.

"You know what Bella, do what the hell you like, I don't care," Lucius snarled.

Turning on his heel, he made his way down to the spare room and knocked on the door, aware that his fiancée was watching him. When Narcissa opened the door, he gave her a smile and offered to spend the afternoon visiting the best wizarding attractions in Paris.

"That sounds great," Narcissa replied, glancing over Lucius's shoulder to see if Bellatrix looked mad. She'd heard the yelling, but her sister looked perfectly serene.

"I won't be here when you get back," Bellatrix said as Narcissa grabbed her bag.

"Suit yourself, Bella," Lucius replied with an absent minded shrug of his shoulder. "Narcissa and I are going to enjoy ourselves, and if you don't want to stick around then don't."

Not even bothering to say goodbye to his fiancée, Lucius escorted Narcissa out of the penthouse and the pair apparated into the heart of wizarding Paris. They headed for the largest museum Paris had to offer, and they didn't mention Bellatrix until they were casually strolling among the exhibits.

"I'm sorry about Bella," Narcissa offered. "She's always been stubborn."

"She's the one missing out," Lucius replied, hiding his anger at his fiancée. He felt as though Bellatrix had thrown his gesture right back in his face and even though deep down he was happier to be alone with Narcissa, part of him was put out that the witch he'd made the effort for had used his arrival as an excuse to run back to England and Lord sodding Voldemort.

"You really didn't have to do this, Lucius," Narcissa said. "I know Bella asked you to entertain me, but you didn't have to. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself."

"I'm sure you can," Lucius replied with a smile. "And just for the record, I'm spending the afternoon with you because I want to. I would never get to come somewhere like this with Bella, and even though I could come on my own, it's so much better to experience it with someone else."

"I know what you mean, I tried visiting a few places yesterday and the day before and it was just boring on my own. I had no-one to talk about the exhibits with, and no-one to debate with over which paintings were better."

"In that case, let the talking and debating commence," Lucius said with a low chuckle.

With the subject of Bellatrix dropped for the moment, the pair tried to enjoy their visit to the museum. For the first half hour things were a bit strained and they were both very aware of the fact Lucius was engaged to Narcissa's sister and that they weren't on a date. Slowly the tension began to drop and they began to interact more freely with one another. By the time they'd been in the museum for nearly two hours and were reaching the last exhibit they were laughing and joking like old friends and all the tension was gone.

"I know a small little art gallery that houses the most wonderful paintings," Lucius said as they exited the museum. "Would you like to visit it?"

"I'd love to," Narcissa replied, letting Lucius take hold of her arm so he could apparate them to another part of wizarding Paris.

On the outskirts of the wizarding part of the French capital, Lucius showed Narcissa the art gallery he'd mentioned. As he'd promised the paintings were wonderful and far more interesting than those they'd just looked at back at the museum. Narcissa was especially captivated by a painting of a couple walking in the rain beside the Eiffel Tower, and she declared it was her favourite piece in the gallery.

"I like this one as well," Lucius said as they stood in front of the picture, admiring the minuscule details the artist had included. "I've often thought of trying to buy it for the manor."

"That would be nice," Narcissa said quietly. She knew her sister would never appreciate the painting, and she felt a flicker of annoyance that her sister might one day live with such a fine piece of art on her walls.

"Maybe one day," Lucius said with a half-smile. Like Narcissa he was thinking about Bellatrix, and how she wouldn't appreciate the picture in the slightest if he bought it.

After admiring the picture for a while longer, they left the gallery and Lucius suggested they head back to the penthouse before going somewhere for dinner. Both of them were wondering if they would find Bellatrix waiting for them when they got back, but they found the penthouse was empty. Bellatrix had taken her wedding dress and she'd gone home. Lucius couldn't find any sign of her in the master bedroom and it was as though she'd never been there. Refusing to dwell on his fiancée and her behaviour, Lucius used magic to fresh himself up and change his clothes into something smarter before returning to escort Narcissa to dinner.

Narcissa had also changed and she was now wearing a deep blue dress with a silver pattern running down the side. She was also wearing the bracelet he'd bought for her the evening they'd attended the charity event together. Lucius had never seen her wear the bracelet since the evening he'd given her it, but it made him smile to see it sparkling on her wrist.

It was hard to have dinner in Paris and not have it being too romantic, but Lucius had done his best in picking a nice restaurant that wasn't overly couple-centric. Even so the evening was still quite intimate and although conversation and laughter flowed between the pair, so did the sexual tension. Lucius couldn't help but appreciate how beautiful Narcissa was, and more importantly how much he genuinely enjoyed her company. He felt a connection with Narcissa that he'd never felt with Bellatrix, or any other witch before her.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Lucius asked once they'd finished eating and they left the restaurant which was located near to the River Seine.

"I don't think we should," Narcissa replied. The evening had been romantic enough without adding a moonlit walk to proceedings.

Understanding why Narcissa had refused the offer of a walk, Lucius gently took hold of her arm and apparated them back to the penthouse. However when they landed in the middle of the living room he found he didn't want to let her go and say goodnight. He'd enjoyed himself far too much to call it a night and just go to bed.

"Thank you for this afternoon and this evening," Narcissa said, leaning up to give Lucius a peck on the cheek.

Despite knowing it was a bad move, Lucius moved his head at the last moment and Narcissa's soft lips landed on his lips rather than his cheek. Narcissa gasped in surprise, causing her lips to move against his. Unable to resist, Lucius gently kissed Narcissa back until they ran out of air and had to part.

"Oh my," Narcissa whispered, her lips still only millimetres away from Lucius's. The pair may have broken their kiss, but they were still standing very close to each other.

"I'm sorry," Lucius offered, even though he felt anything but sorry. He knew he shouldn't have kissed Narcissa, but he couldn't bring himself to regret it.

"Don't," Narcissa said, gazing into Lucius's deep grey eyes and finding herself unable to move away from him. "I enjoyed it. I shouldn't have, but I did."

"I enjoyed it too," Lucius said, moving in for a second kiss.

Narcissa didn't resist as Lucius kissed her again, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his long blond hair as he deepened the kiss. Like Lucius she knew the kiss was wrong, but for something that was wrong it felt so very right. Being in Lucius's arms felt the most natural thing in the world and she couldn't help but let out a little, disappointed groan when they parted for a second time.

"We shouldn't be doing this," she whispered.

"No," Lucius agreed, although he made no move to release Narcissa from his arms and let her go.

"Really," Narcissa pressed, looking up at Lucius. "You're engaged to my sister."

"I know," Lucius replied. "But I can't stop thinking about you, Narcissa. You've gotten under my skin and you're all I think about."

"Lucius, don't," Narcissa begged, placing her hand on Lucius's chest and shaking her head at him. "We can't do this."

"I know we shouldn't do this, but I can't help myself," Lucius replied, snaking his hand into Narcissa's soft blonde hair. "I want you, Narcissa. I need you."

"Lucius," Narcissa whispered with a gasp as she took the initiative and closed the gap between their lips.

When they broke apart for the third time they stood looking at each other for the longest time. Without saying a word, Lucius stepped back and held his hand out for Narcissa. Narcissa knew what Lucius was offering, and even thought she knew it was wrong and that she would likely regret it at some point, she took a deep breath and took hold of his hand. Silently, Lucius led her back towards the master bedroom and they came to a halt just beside the large king sized bed in the centre of the room.

"If we do this we can't take it back," Lucius said thickly. He wanted Narcissa more than ever, but he wanted to be sure she wanted this as much as he did.

"I know," Narcissa replied. "I want this, Lucius. I want you."

Her words were enough to satisfy Lucius and he closed the small gap between them in one stride. Connecting their lips, he ran his hands down her sides, pulling at the zipper on the side of her dress. Still kissing he reached for the shoulders of her dress and slid it down her body. Breaking the kiss, Narcissa stepped out of her heels and kicked her dress away, while Lucius admired the sight of her in her demure peach lingerie.

Unlike Bellatrix who only ever wore daring, dark lacy underwear, Narcissa's lingerie was sweet and almost innocent. However, the sight of Narcissa standing in a pair of silky peach knickers and a matching strapless bra was more arousing to Lucius than anything Bellatrix had ever worn for him.

"Gorgeous," Lucius purred, gently pulling Narcissa back into his embrace.

Narcissa blushed at his compliment, but she didn't let it faze her as she slowly began to unbutton Lucius's shirt. Lucius wanted to tear his clothes from his body, but he remained patient and let Narcissa remove his shirt in her own time. She then turned her attention to his trousers and removed them, leaving him in a pair of dark green underpants that did nothing to hide his arousal.

When Narcissa went to remove his underwear, Lucius stopped her with a laugh as he gathered her up in his arms. "Ladies first," he chuckled as he walked her back towards the large bed.

Together the pair collapsed on the bed and they settled themselves in the middle of the bed. Ever so slowly, Lucius removed Narcissa's underwear, exploring every inch of her exposed skin with his hands and mouth. Narcissa wasn't as curvy and sinful as her sister, but she had a stunning figure and Lucius wasn't the slightest bit disappointed as he gazed down at a flushed Narcissa, spread naked before his hungry grey eyes.

"You're so beautiful," Lucius murmured, his grey eyes sweeping from Narcissa's pert breasts with hard rosebud nipples, down her lean, toned stomach and coming to rest at the apex of her thighs.

"So are you," Narcissa returned, her own gaze lingering on Lucius's Adonis like figure hovering over her. He was still in his underwear, but the bulge was more than enough for her to see that she wasn't going to be disappointed when she got to see the entire package.

Lucius smiled slightly at the compliment, but he was quickly distracted as he spread Narcissa's thighs and dove into the sweetness between her legs. Narcissa closed her eyes and revelled in the feelings Lucius was producing in her as he expertly lavished his undivided attention on her. Narcissa came apart with a whimper, and when she opened her eyes she found Lucius looking up at her with a satisfied smirk on his wet lips.

"You're not the only one who can do that," Narcissa said as Lucius moved back up the bed and pressed his lips against hers.

"Not now," Lucius said. As much as he would love to have Narcissa reciprocate what he'd just done, he wanted more. "Right now, I want to make love to you."

"You won't get any complaints from me," Narcissa whispered, pulling Lucius back in for another brief kiss, before she slid his underpants down his legs and found that he did indeed live up to expectations.

Lucius allowed Narcissa a moment to admire his body, both with her eyes and her hands, before he reconnected their lips and got things back on track. Sliding into Narcissa, he let out a deep groan and had to take a couple of deep breaths to control himself. He'd never felt as alive as he did in that moment, and when he opened his eyes to find Narcissa staring back up at him, Lucius knew he was in love. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Narcissa Black was the love of his life and he would never feel this way about anyone else.

"Narcissa," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers as he prepared to lay his heart on the line.

"No," Narcissa returned quietly, putting her finger over his lips. "Don't say it. Don't talk."

At that moment, Lucius knew that he didn't have to tell Narcissa how he felt, because she was feeling the same way. However, she knew that admitting their feelings would only lead to further heartache. They needed to forget about the complications and just enjoy the time they had together, and chances were it would be their one and only time together.

Not wanting to think of what the future held, Lucius pushed his feelings to one side and focused on the physical side of things. Not that it took him long to get back in the moment, and one searing kiss from Narcissa was all it took to get the blood flowing and the passion bubbling between them. With their lips barely parting, the couple began to move at a leisurely pace as they made love as though they had all the time in the world.

Fortunately, time was something the pair did have and they made the most of every single second they had together. Three times they made love, every time crying out together when their orgasms hit them, before they collapsed into an exhausted sleep. Even in sleep they couldn't stand to be parted and they lay entangled naked in each other's arms in the bed where only the night before Bellatrix had slept soundly, never thinking that her sister and fiancé would betray her in such a way.


	8. Chapter 8

Narcissa slowly woke up, memories of the previous night flitting through her head. For the first few minutes of the new day all she could think about was Lucius, and the lovemaking of the previous night. She could feel her naked lover lying behind her, his arm casually flung over her waist. A small smile played about Narcissa's lips as she lay contentedly beside Lucius, basking in the afterglow of the previous evening.

However, reality quickly intruded and as her sleep addled mind cleared the reality of what she'd done hit Narcissa like a ton of bricks. With a horrified gasp she sat bolt upright in bed as she finally allowed herself to think about Bellatrix. She couldn't deny she'd loved every minute of her night with Lucius, but in the cold light of day her mind inevitably turned to her sister and the fact she'd betrayed her in the worst possible way.

Feeling Lucius stir beside her, Narcissa gathered the sheets and held them in front of herself. She knew Lucius had already seen her naked, but somehow it seemed wrong to be naked with him that morning. Taking a deep breath, she turned her head and watched Lucius sleepily open his eyes. Narcissa couldn't help but be struck by how adorable Lucius looked upon waking. His usually sharp grey eyes were full of sleep, his long blond hair was mussed, and he just looked like the young wizard he truly was.

"Morning," he greeted, rubbing his eyes and sitting up.

"Morning," Narcissa replied quietly, very pleased that the covers she wasn't clutching to her chest had pooled around Lucius's waist, hiding his lower half. Although to be fair, his pale, toned torso was enough of a distraction.

"You're not happy," Lucius noted, alertness flooding back into his eyes as he shook off the remains of his sleep and took a closer look at Narcissa. "You regret last night."

"No. Yes. I don't know," Narcissa answered with a flustered sigh, as she rattled off the three contradicting answers at top speed.

"Now I'm confused," Lucius said gently. "Which is it Narcissa?"

"I don't know," Narcissa confessed. "I can't bring myself to really regret sleeping with you, but I know last night was a one off. It can't happen again."

"Oh," Lucius whispered, his head still trying to wrap around what had happened the previous night.

"You know the situation as well as I do, Lucius," Narcissa said gently as she reached out and took hold of Lucius's hand. "Last night was amazing, and I'll cherish the memories for the rest of my life. But you're marrying my sister. I can't keep betraying her the way we did last night."

"Of course not," Lucius agreed, knowing Narcissa was speaking the truth. Nothing in the world would make him regret the previous night, but deep down he knew it could never happen again. "I'm sorry Narcissa."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Narcissa said with a rueful smile. "You weren't to know we would have such a connection when you agreed to marry my sister."

"I wish I'd met your first," Lucius said, cupping Narcissa's cheek and running his thumb over her soft skin.

"Me too." Narcissa smiled sadly at Lucius as she turned her head slightly and placed a soft kiss on the palm of his hand.

"What happens now?" Lucius asked, not wanting to move as he knew it would mean the end of his time with Narcissa, but knowing that the longer they stayed in bed the harder their goodbye was going to be.

"We get dressed, go back home and pretend this never happened," Narcissa said matter-of-factly.

"Can you really do that?" Lucius asked. He seriously doubted he could pretend as though he hadn't spent an amazing night with the witch he was in love with.

"I'll have to do it. We'll have to do it," Narcissa replied. "I'll never forget this Lucius, but we can't talk about it. The only way we're going to get through this is to push this to one side and pretend it didn't happen."

"I guess you're right," Lucius conceded. "But for the record, I'll never forget this either. Last night was without doubt the highlight of my life."

Exchanging sad smiles the couple prepared to separate and return to their normal lives. Despite the activities of the previous evening, Narcissa didn't want to be seen naked, so Lucius closed his eyes like a gentleman as she rose from the bed with the sheets still clutched to her naked body. Quickly grabbing her clothes, she darted from the master bedroom and bolted into the guest bedroom, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it for a couple of minutes.

Throwing the previous night's clothes onto the bed, Narcissa headed into the adjoining bathroom and hopped into a steaming hot shower. It took all her willpower not to think of a naked Lucius in his shower, but by the time she emerged from the shower she was already locking her memories of her night with Lucius deep inside her. For Bellatrix's sake she wouldn't sleep with Lucius again, but she knew she couldn't turn her feelings for him off, and she knew these next few months were going to be the hardest of her life. She had no idea how she was going to cope with watching the man she loved marrying her sister, but she knew she would find a way and no-one would every find out what had happened between her and Lucius.

Once Narcissa was dressed, she packed her bag and just over an hour after leaving Lucius's bed she was ready to leave Paris behind. With no bags to pack, Lucius was already waiting for her when she emerged from the bedroom and he smiled at her as he connected the floo with an international connection. Saying their goodbyes, Narcissa left Lucius behind as she flooed back to her childhood home, while he headed home to the manor.

At home there was no sign of her parents, and when one of the family's house elves appeared, Narcissa discovered both her parents were out. She didn't even ask where Bellatrix was as she made her way up to her bedroom to unpack. Narcissa was dreading seeing her sister as she knew she would only feel guilty, so putting it off for a few hours was a relief.

Among the unpacking, Narcissa had to make a decision about what to do with the bracelet she'd received from Lucius the night they'd attended the charity dinner together. Even though it had been a completely innocent gift, Narcissa hadn't told anyone about it. She'd kept it in a velvet pouch and only ever wore it when her parents and sister weren't around to ask questions about where she got it from. Taking it to Paris had been a spur of the moment decision and she hadn't thought she would even wear it, but it had been on her wrist as Lucius made love to her and Narcissa knew every time she looked at it she would be reminded of their time together. Knowing she was never going to throw it away, but accepting that the chances of wearing it again were slim, Narcissa secured the bracelet in its velvet pouch and hid it at the back of her underwear drawer. She then firmly shut the drawer, locking away the bracelet and the memories of Paris it held.

Just as the drawer snapped shut, Narcissa heard movement from downstairs. Leaving her bedroom she headed downstairs to find her mother and Bellatrix had arrived home. As expected, Narcissa was overwhelmed with guilt as her sister greeted her warmly and checked that she'd had a good last evening in Paris.

"I do hope Lucius took care of you," Bellatrix said.

"He did," Narcissa replied. "You'll have to thank him again for me."

"I'm sure you can do that yourself," Bellatrix said with an airy wave. "He's bound to be coming to dinner one day next week."

"How nice," Narcissa said with a fake smile. She'd always known she would have to deal with seeing Lucius on a regular basis, but she was hoping to have a few weeks to prepare before she saw him next.

"Narcissa, come and help," Druella called as she settled herself on the large sofa. "We're looking at flowers for the wedding."

"Oh, I've just remembered, I've got somewhere to be," Bellatrix said, making a show of checking the time. "You two can handle the flowers, can't you?"

"Of course dear, you run along," Druella said. "Your sister and I have everything in hand."

"I'm sure it wouldn't kill her to stick around just once," Narcissa grumbled to her mother as Bellatrix hurried back out of the house. "This is her wedding we're organising."

"You know this isn't your sister's sort of thing," Druella said with a disapproving tut at her youngest daughter. "Now come here Narcissa and help me."

With a sigh, Narcissa headed over to where her mother was sitting and settled herself down, preparing to spend the rest of the morning helping to plan Bellatrix's wedding to the wizard she'd just spent the night with.

* * *

 _ **...**_

* * *

Three days after returning from Paris, Narcissa had to endure a family dinner with Lucius and his father present. The main topic of conversation was the upcoming wedding, and although Bellatrix had done barely anything to help organise things, she wouldn't shut up about how perfect the day was going to be. Throughout dinner Narcissa had smiled politely and tried to act interested, but it was a great relief when shortly after they'd finished eating she'd been able to feign a headache and retire to her room.

Settling down on her bed with a book, Narcissa hadn't expected to be bothered again that evening so she was rather shocked when a few hours after she'd excused herself from the evening there was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in," she called as she slid her bookmark into her book and placed it on her bedside table. When her father entered the room, she smiled at him and beckoned him over to her bedside.

"Hello sweetheart," her father greeted. "I've just come to check how you are. You were awfully quiet at dinner."

"It was just a headache," Narcissa replied with a shrug.

"I don't fool that easily, Cissa," Cygnus chuckled as he perched himself on his daughter's bed. "It's the wedding isn't it? You're struggling with the fact your sister is getting married and you're not, aren't you?"

"It's just hard having to do all the planning for a wedding that isn't even mine," Narcissa replied. Of course it was even harder considering the fact she was planning Lucius's wedding.

"Your day will come, Cissa," Cygnus said kindly. "If you want I can start making arrangements for your betrothal."

"You have someone in mind for me to marry?" Narcissa gasped. She'd always known her father would play a part in who she was going to marry, just as he'd done with Bellatrix, but she'd figured with her sister's wedding her own love life was on the back burner.

"I've got a candidate in mind," Cygnus replied. "What do you think of Horatio Parkinson?"

"Parkinson?" Narcissa repeated with a slight frown. She knew he was one of Lucius's friends, but to be honest he just seemed to fade into the background when Lucius was around, then again most men did when the blond wizard was present.

"The Parkinsons are a good solid family," Cygnus continued. "They're not quite as rich as the Malfoys, but I think with the right encouragement Parkinson could really achieve something. My other consideration is Nigel Nott, but the Notts don't quite have the prestige attached to their name - not yet at least. So what do you think, Narcissa? I could approach Parkinson senior and start the talks. Of course nothing major will be done before your sister's big day, but we can put the ground work in place and if everything works out we can announce an engagement after your sister is married."

Narcissa nervously bit her lip as she considered what her father was offering. Deep down she didn't want to get involved with Parkinson, Nott or anyone else, but she knew she had to at some point. Lucius wasn't an option for her, and it didn't matter that she loved him, he was off the table. Like it or not he was marrying her sister, and she still needed a husband of her own. She was only hurting herself by refusing to think about her own future when Lucius's was so clearly mapped out for him.

"Do it," she said quickly before she changed her mind.

"I'll get onto it first thing in the morning," Cygnus promised. "I think Parkinson will be a wise choice and I'm sure the pair of you will be very well suited."

"I'm sure we will," Narcissa replied with a weak smile as her father said goodnight and left her room, leaving her to contemplate her future which could very well see her become the future Mrs Parkinson.


	9. Chapter 9

Following the trip to Paris, Lucius tried his hardest to get things back to normal, but it didn't seem to matter what he tried, there was a distance between him and Bellatrix that he couldn't get past. Bellatrix hadn't seemed to notice the change, but to Lucius it was glaringly obvious that they weren't at all suited and their marriage was doomed to be a disaster. In an effort to avoid thinking about what his future entailed, Lucius threw himself into his work and often worked late on an evening. He'd even taken to returning home to the manor on a night, rather than stay at the penthouse in London and risk Bellatrix showing up.

The trip had also affected the couple's sex life, and while on the surface of things nothing had changed in the bedroom department, Lucius felt the change. He still bedded Bellatrix on a regular basis, and she was still as sexy and provocative as ever, but it didn't matter how many orgasms Lucius managed in a session, he still felt unsatisfied when they finished. He suspected that now he'd been with Narcissa, and truly knew what it was like to make love to a witch he cared about, sex with Bellatrix would never be the same again. He would never find what he'd had with Narcissa with anyone else, and he would spend his entire life longing for the one witch he could never have again.

With the extra work he was putting in, Lucius also had very little time for his friends, however a month after the Paris trip his friends persuaded him to grab a drink so they could catch up. Hoping an evening out would help improve his mood, Lucius agreed and he met Nigel Nott and Horatio Parkinson in a trendy new bar in the centre of wizarding London.

"Nice place," Lucius remarked as the trio slid into a corner booth with their drinks. From the booth they'd picked, they could observe everyone else and get a feel for the place to see if it was somewhere they would come again.

"I've heard places like these make a fortune. Maybe I should go into the hospitality industry," Nigel mused. Despite being from a wealthy pureblood family, Nigel worked at the Ministry and he had high hopes of progressing far and increasing his family's standing in the wizarding world as the Notts weren't quite as established as the likes of the Malfoys and the Parkinsons.

"How low brow," Horatio sneered. "You wouldn't catch me doing something as pedestrian as running a bar."

"You wouldn't be caught working full stop," Lucius remarked jokingly.

Horatio was one of the pure blood wizards who didn't work, and instead took advantage of his family's fortune. He was exactly the sort of wizard Abraxas had warned Lucius about becoming – someone who lived off their inheritance and never thought about the future generations. Granted the Parkinsons money wasn't going to run out any time soon, but if Horatio's children and grandchildren took the same approach as him, the family would soon find themselves needing to work out of necessity.

"I've got better things to do with my time than to work," Horatio snorted. He knew Lucius's views, and if his friend wanted to work when he didn't have to then that was his business, but he wasn't going to do the same.

"Like what?" Nigel asked.

"Very soon I'll have a very beautiful fiancée to entertain," Horatio replied boastingly.

"A fiancée?" Lucius questioned with a raised eyebrow. "This is new."

"Our fathers have been in discussion for the last couple of weeks," Horatio replied. "Nothings official yet, but it looks like we're going to be family, Lucius."

"Family?" Lucius repeated, his mind not quite working fast enough to get what Horatio was getting at.

"Yes, family," Horatio confirmed. "It looks like we're both going to be marrying Black sisters. And don't get me wrong Lucius, Bellatrix is a stunning woman, but Narcissa is much classier."

"Narcissa," Lucius whispered, a horrible sick feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. "You're going to be betrothed to Narcissa."

"Isn't it wonderful," Horatio replied happily.

"The pair of you are lucky buggers," Nigel said with a laugh. "Both Narcissa and Bellatrix are gorgeous."

"Yes but Narcissa is classier," Horatio bragged. "And I bet you any money she's a virgin."

"What?" Lucius spluttered. It wouldn't be the first time he'd discussed women and sex with his friends, but he didn't like Narcissa being part of the discussion.

"I'm just saying, she strikes me as the pure type," Horatio replied with a shrug. "I can't wait to break her in."

Lucius bit his tongue to stop himself from slapping Horatio down. In the past he hadn't been opposed to discussing women the same way his friend was doing, but he disliked hearing Narcissa spoken about in such a way. Although to be fair, he truly hated the idea of Narcissa marrying Horatio. Horatio may have been one of his best friends, but in no way did Lucius think he was good enough for Narcissa.

Horatio was the sort of wizard who merely wanted a trophy wife who would give him children, and Narcissa would fit the bill perfectly. He wasn't the best looking wizard, in fact Lucius thought he had a slightly upturned nose, but Narcissa was stunning and her genes should ensure they had good looking children. She would also look good on Horatio's arm on evenings out, and Lucius knew from experience that Narcissa could charm anyone if she set her mind to it. There was no doubt she would be an asset for Horatio, but Lucius felt she deserved better.

In his opinion Narcissa deserved a wizard who would appreciate her for more than her beauty. There was no doubt Narcissa was an extremely clever witch, and while Lucius knew few men would include her in their business dealings, a really smart man would seek her advice in private. Lucius himself knew that if he'd been lucky enough to have been betrothed to Narcissa, he would have made sure to appreciate her brains as well as her beauty. However, he knew Horatio would never think of Narcissa other than anything more than a pretty trinket on his arm.

"I thought you would be happier with the news," Horatio remarked to Lucius, dragging him back to the present. "Don't you want us to be family?"

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves," Lucius said. "You're not even engaged to Narcissa yet."

"It's a mere formality," Horatio replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Now, have I mentioned the party my parents are throwing for their anniversary next week? Of course you're both invited, and Narcissa will also be there. It'll be almost as good as an engagement party for us."

"Can't wait," Lucius muttered sarcastically.

Fortunately, Horatio was too buzzed to notice Lucius's lack of enthusiasm for his proposed engagement, and the evening carried on without incident. However, Lucius returned home to the manor feeling more deflated than when he'd gone out. The evening had done nothing to help him mood, on the contrary – it had only solidified his feelings that his life was going in the completely wrong direction and there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

 _ **...**_

* * *

On the same evening Lucius was discovering Narcissa was on the verge of being engaged to one of his best friends, Bellatrix was attending the dark arts club she frequented, never giving her fiancé a second thought. After the first time she'd bought Lucius to the club, she'd never mentioned the place again as she knew he hadn't enjoyed himself, but she was still a regular.

Bellatrix liked to sit and watch people, amused that they thought a mask could truly hide their identity. Bellatrix knew almost all the regulars of the club, and she knew several people in authority at the Ministry of Magic frequented the club. In fact a great deal of the regulars were moral, upstanding members of the wizarding community and there would be one hell of a scandal if the cliental of the club were ever revealed.

As much as Bellatrix liked to watch people, she also liked to spend time with The Dark Lord in his private room, but she was slightly disappointed when she entered the room only to find half a dozen other people in the room with Lord Voldemort. However, she was soon placated when she joined the group to find they were discussing how they could make an impact in the wizarding world. For weeks Voldemort had been talking about making their presence felt, and trying to change the world, and it would seem he had some solid support behind him. Bellatrix for one would follow him into battle and she wasn't shy at telling him so.

For an hour the group discussed ways they could change the wizarding world, and as people began to leave Bellatrix was thrilled when Voldemort whispered in her ear that he wanted her to stay. As the last person left the room, Voldemort shut and locked the door behind them before turning to Bellatrix.

"So, you think my plan can work?" he asked. "You think we can change the wizarding world."

"I do My Lord," Bellatrix replied softly as she untied her mask and threw it to the table now they were alone. "I think you can do anything you set your mind to."

"You do realise what I'm proposing is illegal," Voldemort said. "Once we start this we'll be criminals. If we're caught, we'll end up in Azkaban. We'll be breaking the law."

"Once we have control, your word will be the law," Bellatrix answered with a sly smirk. "Besides, why shouldn't we take our world back? These mudbloods and their sympathisers are threatening to take over. It's time the purebloods rose back up and took control of our world once again."

"It's not going to be easy," Voldemort remarked, settling down in his chair beside the roaring fire. "We're going to need a lot of support."

"You have my unwavering loyalty, My Lord," Bellatrix vowed, moving across to Voldemort and sinking to her knees in front of his chair.

"And your fiancé?" Voldemort asked. "I notice Lucius hasn't put in a second appearance. He's just the sort of person we need on board if we're wanting to achieve anything."

"Why do we need Lucius?" Bellatrix asked with a pout. Part of the reason she'd never encouraged Lucius to join her at the club was that she enjoyed her alone time with Voldemort.

"He's a Malfoy, and in our world his name opens doors," Voldemort explained as he reached out and brushed Bellatrix's black hair over her shoulder and away from her low cut dress. "My sources say he's a very charming man and has great influence with his peers. If he joins us, others will follow. Do you understand, Bellatrix?"

"I do, My Lord," Bellatrix replied with a nod. "And don't worry about Lucius, I can bring him to heel."

"I just bet you can," Voldemort replied with a wicked smirk. "I'm sure you're very persuasive, Bella."

"I can be," Bellatrix agreed, looking up at Voldemort flirtatiously through her thick eyelashes. "Would you like to see how persuasive I can be, My Lord?"

"I think a demonstration of your talents is very much in order," Voldemort said, settling back in his chair and Bellatrix smoothly rose to her feet.

Without another word, Bellatrix wriggled out of her long deep blue dress, and clad only in her black lingerie she set about showing Voldemort just how persuasive she could be. If Voldemort wanted Lucius among his numbers than Bellatrix would deliver her fiancé to The Dark Lord, whether he wanted it or not. She was not going to be defied, and like it or not, Lucius was going to dance to her tune and do her bidding. After all, shouldn't every husband to be do just as his future wife asked? Even if it did mean joining up with a dark wizard as he attempted to gain control of Wizarding Britain and in time the wider wizarding world.


	10. Chapter 10

Lucius prepared to head to the Parkinsons house for their party, annoyed that Bellatrix wasn't by his side. The couple had planned to attend the party together but at the last minute Lucius had received an owl from Bellatrix informing him that she had something important to attend to and she would join him at the party. Lucius wasn't at all impressed with his fiancée's decision, but since she'd left him so little time to find her and change her mind, he was forced to head to the party alone and hope that she wasn't long in joining him.

Arriving at the Parkinsons, Lucius slipped into the party and hoped that Bellatrix arrived before anyone noticed she was late. Unfortunately for Lucius one of the first people he ran into was his father, who immediately inquired after Bellatrix. Lucius was forced to admit she wasn't with him and was meeting him there, and from the arch of his father's eyebrow it was clear Abraxas wasn't impressed with the arrangement.

"It's not seemly for a wife to keep her husband waiting at a public event," Abraxas murmured quietly to his son.

"Bellatrix isn't my wife yet," Lucius replied.

"Don't get technical on me Lucius," Abraxas warned in a low voice. "Wife or fiancée, it's the same thing. The pair of you should have arrived together."

"Bella will be here shortly," Lucius insisted, hoping that he was right and his fiancée didn't embarrass him further.

"I hope so," Abraxas remarked. "And in future I would suggest you take a firmer line with Bellatrix. I won't have her disgracing the family name, Lucius."

With that, Abraxas turned and stalked away from his son, leaving Lucius to silently curse his fiancée. Hoping to avoid further embarrassment, Lucius grabbed a drink from a passing waiter and searched for any sign of his friends. The first person he spotted was Horatio, but he had a stunning looking Narcissa at his side and Lucius was in no mood to converse with the happy couple.

Not that Narcissa looked overly thrilled to be in Horatio's presence. Even from across the room, Lucius could see the smile on Narcissa's face with fake and at every opportunity she broke the physical contact Horatio seemed keen to initiate. To those who didn't know her, she was the picture of the happy fiancée-to-be, but Lucius could see that she wasn't happy. That realisation should have made him happy, but instead it just made him sadder and it broke his heart to think of Narcissa enduring a loveless marriage like the one he was about to embark on. Just because he couldn't have love, didn't mean he wanted Narcissa to suffer the same fate and he would have been happier if she'd found someone she loved to marry.

Avoiding Horatio and Narcissa wasn't easy but Lucius managed it for nearly an hour. Unfortunately in that time Bellatrix still failed to put in an appearance and Lucius's temper was growing as he knocked back several drinks. Bellatrix still hadn't appeared when luck turned against him and he found himself cornered by Horatio, who was dragging Narcissa along behind him like she was some sort of pet dog.

"There you are Lucius," Horatio said with a beaming grin. "Anyone would think you were avoiding us."

"Not avoiding you, just busy socialising," Lucius lied.

"With your fiancée?" Horatio questioned, making a show of looking around for Bellatrix even though he knew full well she hadn't been seen that evening. "I have to say, I haven't seen your lovely wife-to-be tonight."

"Bella's running a bit late, but she'll be here any minute," Lucius replied, garnering a sympathetic smile from Narcissa who was fully aware of how unreliable her older sister could be.

"It seems I'm the lucky one, getting the sister who believes in good time keeping," Horatio bragged, slipping an arm around Narcissa's slender waist and pulling her closer to him.

"I'm sure Bella will be here any moment," Narcissa said loyally as she slid out of Horatio's grasp to grab a glass of wine off a passing waiter.

"I'm sure she will," Horatio muttered, his attention already wandering from his friend. "Oh look, there's Edward Flint, let's go and say hello Narcissa."

"Why don't you go and I'll stay and keep Lucius company," Narcissa suggested. "I promise I'll be right behind you," she added hastily when Horatio opened his mouth to protest.

"Fine, but don't be long," Horatio said with a pout. The making sure he had Lucius's full attention, he darted forward and pressed his lips against Narcissa's.

Lucius's hands curled into fists at his side as he watched his friend kiss the witch he loved. The only consolation was that Narcissa didn't kiss him back and she seemed just as keen as Lucius for the kiss to end. Fortunately Horatio didn't push his luck as they were in public and the kiss was only a brief one. However, he swaggered away with a smug smirk on his face and Lucius was left with the strong urge to knock out one of his oldest friends.

"I see you two are already love's young dream," Lucius sneered as he made his way to a nearby doorway which led out onto a small balcony.

"I wouldn't say that," Narcissa said with a sigh, following Lucius and leaning against the rail of the balcony which overlooked the Parkinsons garden which was illuminated by moonlight.

"Are you really going to marry him?" Lucius asked.

"It appears so," Narcissa replied, gazing out over the garden and avoiding Lucius's keen stare. "Father thinks it's a good match."

"Then your father is blind," Lucius snorted. "You can do so much better than Horatio Parkinson."

"I thought he was one of your best friends," Narcissa said, turning her head so she was finally facing Lucius.

"He is, and that's how I know he isn't right for you," Lucius replied earnestly. "Trust me Narcissa, marrying Horatio will be the worst mistake of your life."

"And marrying my sister will be yours," Narcissa returned in a whisper.

"I'm well aware of that, but I'm already in too deep," Lucius said softly. "You're not even engaged, Narcissa, so please take the time to think things through. Don't rush into marrying Horatio because it's what your father wants."

"How do you know it's not what I want?" Narcissa questioned. "Maybe I asked him to find me a husband."

"Did you?" Lucius asked with a frown.

"It doesn't matter if I did, or didn't," Narcissa answered with an elegant shrug of her shoulders. "I can't avoid getting a husband of my own just because I desire my sister's. You're getting married, Lucius, and I deserve to be able to do the same."

"I don't deny your right to get married, I'm merely questioning if Horatio is the right wizard for you," Lucius said. "You deserve someone who will truly love you, Narcissa. Horatio will see you as nothing more than a trophy. Don't you want to marry someone you love?"

"It's not going to happen," Narcissa said softly. "I'm already in love, but I can't marry him. I can't be with the wizard I want to be with, so I'll have to settle for second best. Horatio might not love me, and I certainly don't love him, but we could have a good life together. I'd rather take the chance with him, then live the rest of my life pining after my brother-in-law. You need to accept this, Lucius, just as I've accepted you're going to marry my sister."

Narcissa gave Lucius a sad smile, before turning and heading back into the party. Lucius remained on the balcony for a while longer, taking in what Narcissa had said. Everything she'd said was true, but that didn't mean that Lucius had to like it. How could he possibly be happy knowing that he and Narcissa loved each other but could never be together? Unless of course Lucius was prepared to risk losing everything to be with her, and as much as he loved Narcissa, he wasn't sure if it was a risk he was willing to take. Could he really destroy his life for one woman, and if he did would he end up resenting her for everything he had lost?

Contemplating his limited options, Lucius also returned to the party. There was still no sign of his fiancée, so he settled himself at the bar and ordered the barman to keep his glass topped up. For the next hour, Lucius watched the party as he continued to drink. Several times his father shot him an unimpressed glare, but even Abraxas's cold disdain did nothing to dent Lucius's drinking. Nor did it stop him watching in disgust the way Horatio trotted around the party, showing Narcissa off as though she was some prize he'd won.

By the time his errant fiancée put in an appearance, Lucius was well and truly on his way to being roaring drunk. His temper began to flare the second he spotted Bellatrix waltzing into the party as though she wasn't several hours late, and it grew as she flirted with every handsome wizard on her way over to the bar.

"You're late," Lucius snapped at her as she greeted him with a peck on the cheek.

"And you're drunk," Bellatrix retorted, wrinkling her nose at the smell of firewhisky on Lucius's breath.

"You've made me look like a fool," Lucius seethed.

"The only one making you look like a fool is you," Bellatrix shot back, shaking her head in disgust at her fiancé as she turned to walk away from him.

"Don't walk away from me, Bella," Lucius warned, grabbing Bellatrix's left wrist and yanking her back towards him.

With a hiss of pain, Bellatrix yanked her arm out of Lucius's grip. As she rubbed her forearm, Lucius realised for the first time that she was wearing a long sleeved dress. Even though it was autumn and starting to get colder, Lucius was still surprised by the style of dress as his fiancée tended to favour dresses which showed off as much of her skin as was possible without being indecent.

"What's wrong?" Lucius asked. "I didn't grab you that hard."

"It's nothing," Bellatrix said dismissively.

"No, it's something," Lucius argued as he reached for his fiancée. Before she could argue, he pulled up the sleeve of her dress, revealing a disgusting jet black tattoo. The tattoo was shaped like a skull and a snake was entwined around the skull. "What is that?" he hissed in disdain.

"Not here," Bellatrix said firmly, pulling her sleeve back down to cover her arm.

"Yes, here," Lucius snarled, unconcerned that people nearby were giving them strange looks. "What is that thing on your arm, Bella?"

"It's The Dark Mark," Bellatrix whispered. "I received it tonight. The Dark Lord is branding his followers, and he's going to use the mark to communicate with us."

"I might have known he would be involved in this madness," Lucius snapped.

"It's not madness, it's a calling," Bellatrix argued. "We're raising an army, and he wants you to join us, Lucius."

"No way," Lucius insisted with a firm shake of his head. "I will not get involved with that mad man, and neither will you. I forbid you to see him again."

"You forbid me?" Bellatrix laughed spitefully as she glared angrily at her fiancé. "Just who do you think you are to forbid me to do anything?"

"I'm going to be your husband, and you will learn to obey me, Bellatrix," Lucius said in a low voice.

"If it's obedience you want, you're marrying the wrong witch," Bellatrix sneered. "I'm my own person and no-one, not even you, can tell me what to do. Get used to it Lucius, because it won't change when we're married. You can't stop me getting involved with The Dark Lord."

"You just watch me, Bellatrix," Lucius snarled. "I won't stand back and let you ruin our lives."

"The only one ruining our lives is you," Bellatrix spat. "This could be the best thing that will ever happen to us Lucius. Don't miss out on the golden opportunity The Dark Lord is offering you."

"I want nothing he's offering me," Lucius spat. "And if you continue to see him there's going to be trouble."

"Just what is going on here?" Abraxas's angry voice hissed as Lucius's father appeared behind Bellatrix before she got a chance to reply to Lucius. "Everyone is watching the pair of you, it's downright humiliating."

"Don't worry Abraxas, I'm leaving," Bellatrix muttered. "Your son is drunk, and I'm not going to take care of him."

"I am not drunk," Lucius hissed as Bellatrix darted around his father and strode out of the room with her head held high.

"I can smell it from here," Abraxas snarled, glaring at his only son. "Go home and sober up, Lucius. We'll discuss your behaviour in the morning."

"You can't send me home like some naughty schoolboy," Lucius retorted.

"Then stop acting like one and grow up," Abraxas growled. "You're making a show of the pair of us. Go home now, before I really lose my temper."

Lucius opened his mouth to tell his father that he was old enough to look after himself when he felt a gentle hand on his arm. Looking to the side, he found Narcissa had approached them in the midst of the argument. Although how long she'd been at his side, Lucius had no idea.

"I'll take care of him, Mr Malfoy," she offered kindly.

"Thank you Narcissa, you're a good girl," Abraxas said, bestowing the pretty young witch with a rare smile.

"A good girl who can be very bad," Lucius whispered in Narcissa's ear as his father stalked away, satisfied that Narcissa had everything under control.

"Stop that," Narcissa hissed, blushing slightly at the suggestive tone of Lucius's voice. "Come on, let me take you home."

"Fine," Lucius sighed, conceding defeat as he was more than ready to leave the party and pretend the night had never happened.

Lucius put himself entirely in Narcissa's hands, and he was only vaguely aware of her ushering him through the floo connection in the Parkinsons front room. When they arrived at the manor they were on the ground floor, and Lucius gave her directions to his wing of the manor. He continued to give her directions until they entered his bedroom.

"How very Slytherin," Narcissa remarked with a smirk as she took in the emerald green and black bedding and the silver and green decorations in the room.

"It's been like this for years," Lucius answered with a shrug. It had never occurred to him to decorate his bedroom once he'd left Hogwarts.

"It suits you," Narcissa replied. "I think you're one of those people who'll be a Slytherin until the day you die."

"I was a proud Slytherin," Lucius replied, weaving his way over to the bed and almost collapsing onto the floor as he tried to sit down. "Were you not?" he asked as Narcissa steadied him and sat him on the bed.

"I was," Narcissa answered. "I was honoured to be a Slytherin. However, on another day I might have been sorted into another house. The hat did seriously consider putting me in Ravenclaw. However, you're a complete and utter Slytherin, and I couldn't imagine you any other way."

"Thank you," Lucius replied, beaming at Narcissa as though she'd paid him the best compliment he'd ever received.

"Do you have any sobering potion?" Narcissa asked, glancing around the room. "Otherwise you're going to wake up in the morning with one hell of a hangover."

"Try the bathroom," Lucius said, pointing out his adjoining bathroom. He had no idea if he had a sobering potion, but if he did, it would be in his bathroom cabinet.

Narcissa headed off into the bathroom but when she emerged a few minutes later she was empty handed. Shaking her head she informed Lucius that he didn't have any sobering potion, nor could she find any hangover potion. He would just have to deal with his excessive drinking, and its consequences, without magic.

"You might feel better if you got into bed," Narcissa suggested.

"I might feel better if you joined me," Lucius replied, reaching out and pulling Narcissa down on the bed beside him. Before she could protest, he'd pressed his lips against hers in a searing kiss.

"Lucius, you're drunk," Narcissa insisted as she ended the kiss.

"Not that drunk," Lucius retorted, moving in for a second kiss.

Despite knowing she shouldn't be kissing Lucius, Narcissa couldn't help but respond. Tangling her hands through his long blond hair, she eagerly kissed him back and pressed herself as close to him as she could get. As their hands began to wander they fell back on the bed and they lay together for several minutes, kissing and fondling each other.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Narcissa whispered, even though she made no move to remove herself from where she was lying half under Lucius.

"I'm sick of doing what's right," Lucius murmured against Narcissa's neck. "Stay with me, Narcissa."

Narcissa ran through all the reason she should say no and get up and leave Lucius to his drunken stupor, but when she opened her mouth she agreed to stay with him. Even when Lucius passed out too drunk to do anything ten minutes later, Narcissa didn't leave. She just removed their shoes and pulling the sheets over them, she snuggled down beside him and drifted off to sleep in Lucius's bed.


	11. Chapter 11

Lucius awoke with a pounding headache, and before he even opened his eyes he was cursing himself for the previous days drinking. As he considered his drinking, the reasons for it came back to him and Lucius shot up in bed. Immediately his eyes fell to the space beside him and his heart sank when there was no sign of Narcissa. He could distinctly remember asking her to stay and her agreeing, but he couldn't remember anything that had happened afterwards.

"Good morning," a cheerful voice behind Lucius called and turning around Lucius found Narcissa sitting on his desk chair, fully dressed in the clothes she was wearing the previous evening and looking as gorgeous as ever.

"I'm not so sure it's good," Lucius grumbled. "My head is killing me."

"I did warn you that you would be suffering today," Narcissa said, not sounding at all sympathetic to his plight.

"Right now the only thing I'm suffering from is memory loss," Lucius replied. "I can't for the life of me remember what happened last night."

"So you don't remember begging me to stay with you?" Narcissa asked as she got up and casually sauntered over to the side of Lucius's bed.

"That I remember," Lucius confirmed. "And judging from your presence here, you stayed."

"Against my better judgement," Narcissa murmured as she perched on the side of Lucius's bed.

"And did we do anything?" Lucius questioned. He couldn't recall having sex, and he was just hoping that he hadn't totally embarrassed himself by not being able to get it up thanks to the drinking.

"That you would have remembered," Narcissa said with a slight chuckle. "We kissed, then you fell asleep. I stayed with you, and now it's time I was going."

"What time is it?" Lucius asked.

"Early," Narcissa answered. "I need to get back before anyone realises I spent the night here."

"Why did you stay, Narcissa?" Lucius asked, grabbing hold of her hand to stop her from getting up and leaving. "If I was asleep, why did you stay with me?"

"I don't know," Narcissa replied quietly. "I guess I have trouble saying no when it comes to you."

"Good, that means you won't turn me down when I ask you to come away with me next weekend," Lucius said, the idea just popping impulsively into his hungover head.

"I can't go away with you for the weekend, Lucius," Narcissa protested. "You're engaged to my sister, and I'm almost engaged to Horatio."

"All the more reason to grab happiness while we can," Lucius argued passionately, gazing into Narcissa's crystal blue eyes. "In six months I'll be tied to your sister for the rest of my life, before then I want the chance to be truly happy. Just think about it Narcissa. We can put ourselves first and spend what time we have left together."

"It's such a selfish thing to do," Narcissa whispered, although she had to confess she was sorely tempted by what Lucius was suggesting.

"Think about it," Lucius urged again. "I'll send you the address of one of the Malfoy villas on Friday. If you turn up on Friday evening, I'll be waiting, but if you chose not to show, I'll never mention this conversation again. Just think about your own happiness for once Narcissa, even if all we can manage is a few snatched weekends together. Every moment with you is one I treasure, and I want as many of them as I can get."

"I promise to think about it," Narcissa vowed as she got to her feet. "Now get some more sleep, it's still early."

Reluctantly Lucius let Narcissa leave, but try as he might, he just couldn't go back to sleep. He hadn't mentioned it to Narcissa, but he knew that if she accepted his offer of an affair he was going to use that time to make some decisions about his life. The thought of giving up everything for Narcissa had occurred to him the previous evening, but at that point all he had to count on was one night in Paris. And as amazing as that night had been, he didn't want to risk his current way of life on what could have been a one-time thing. However, the more time he spent with Narcissa, the more he would know for sure if she was worth the risk. Right now his instincts were telling him that she was worth it, but before he gave up everything for her, Lucius had to be sure.

The thought of giving up everything for Narcissa was scary, but Lucius wasn't going to dismiss it as an option. Nor was he going to bank on going through with upsetting his life just in case he decided that the path he was going down was where he was meant to be. The next six months were going to be used to assess his life, and Lucius vowed there and then that he would make a firm decision about his life before he was due to marry Bellatrix. He would either commit to her and forget her sister, or he would risk everything for love and do everything in his power to make Narcissa his.

By the time Lucius had staggered out of bed, showered and changed he was feeling more like his usual self. He still had a slight headache, but it was bearable and his hopes about exploring things with Narcissa had him in a jovial mood. Or at least he was in a good mood before he remembered the altercation with his father and Abraxas's promise to speak to him. Knowing he couldn't put it off forever, Lucius left his bedroom and headed off to have a talk with his father.

Since it was a Sunday, Abraxas wasn't in his study and Lucius found him sitting in the smaller of the two living rooms they used, reading the papers. Abraxas tended to favour the smaller living room when they didn't have guests, so it had been the obvious place for Lucius to find his father. Although when he entered he half wished he hadn't found his father as Abraxas gave him quite a withering stare as he sat down in the chair opposite him.

"You look terrible," Abraxas stated as he carefully folded the paper and placed it on the coffee table in front of him.

"I'm sorry," Lucius apologised. "I was out of line last night."

"Yes, you were," Abraxas agreed. "I'm not often disappointed in you Lucius, but I was last night."

"Sorry," Lucius repeated, hating to hear that he'd disappointed his father. Although he knew he was only going to disappoint his father even further if he ever discovered what he'd been up to with Narcissa.

"And what was going on with Bellatrix?" Abraxas asked. "I know she's a headstrong young woman, but I thought you could control her."

"I thought so to," Lucius muttered. "But I don't think I can where he is concerned."

"He who?" Abraxas demanded, leaning forward with a concerned expression on his face.

"Have you ever heard of a wizard named Lord Voldemort?" Lucius asked his father.

"Yes, I have," Abraxas answered warily. He was sure most people had heard of Voldemort, although he was often thought to be more of a myth than an actual wizard.

"Bellatrix has gotten herself mixed up with him," Lucius said. He then explained about the dark arts club his fiancée visited and the fact Voldemort is a regular at the club. "It's not really my scene, but Bella likes it and I never thought it was a problem her spending time there."

"What's changed?" Abraxas asked.

"Last night she was late because she was with him," Lucius answered. "She allowed herself to be branded by him, and she was going on about being part of an army he was raising."

"An army?" Abraxas frowned. "An army can only mean one thing. War. Just who is Voldemort waging a war against?"

"My guess would be muggleborns," Lucius replied. "I met him once and while I was happy to discuss Dark Arts with him, his views on muggleborns left me cold. He wants them wiped out of the wizarding world so it can become pure again."

"Idiot," Abraxas scoffed. "Doesn't he realise that in a few generations time purebloods will be all inbred without muggleborns in our world. Don't get me wrong Lucius, I'm as proud of our pureblood heritage as the next sensible wizard, but I'm not so blind that I can't see the problems eradicating the muggleborns will cause. We're lucky that our ancestors hail from France, so we don't have as many connections with other pureblood families, but in time that will happen. Just look at the Blacks, one of the oldest pureblood families in Britain. They've already resorted to marrying cousins in some cases. Remove the muggleborns from our world and that's what will happen to us all eventually. Eventually we'll become so inbred we'll die out and instead of saving the wizarding world, he'll have condemned it."

"If I didn't know any better I would say you were advocating using muggleborns to carry on the family line," Lucius said.

"Don't be so ridiculous Lucius," Abraxas snapped with a shake of his head. "I'm not suggesting anything so rash, but muggleborns do have their place in this world. All it takes is for muggleborns to marry into a wizarding family that isn't as fussy about their heritage. For the next few generations they're tainted by the muggle genes, but if the family keep marrying other magical people eventually the muggle genes will be so far back they become purebloods. Granted, they're purebloods with less of a standing and history, but purebloods just the same. And it could be one of those new generations of purebloods that our descendants marry. If you take that away, our entire world will eventually cease to exist."

"Try telling that to Bella," Lucius snorted. "She's awestruck by Voldemort, and she'll do whatever he wants. She even wants to me join them."

"Do not get involved Lucius," Abraxas warned. "And for Merlin's sake, get your fiancée out of his grasp. This war he wants to wage will never be won, not by his side. Far too many people will oppose him, and even if he does look to be on top at some stage, remember he won't stay that way. I'd bet every galleon we have that his war will fail, and everyone associated with him will be tainted. Do not let the Malfoys be among those tainted, Lucius."

"I don't want to be involved any more than you do," Lucius insisted. "But how do I stop Bellatrix? She's made her mind up, and she's the most stubborn witch I've ever met."

"Then it's time to get creative, son," Abraxas advised. "Remember you're a Slytherin and there's more than one way to get what you want. Sometimes the perfect plans are long term ones. It doesn't matter if you get Bellatrix away from Voldemort now, or in a years' time. Just make sure you do it before things get out of hand and she's involved in a scandal."

"I guess first thing I need to do is make things right with her," Lucius said with a sigh. The last thing he wanted to do was make amends with his fiancée, but he knew his father was right and until he made any solid decisions about his future he had to ensure Bellatrix avoided getting in too deep with Voldemort.

"That would be a start," Abraxas said with a nod. "But I'm sure you'll have no problems, Lucius. You are a Malfoy, and we can be very charming."

Thanking his father for his advice, Lucius returned to his wing of the manor where he wrote a quick note to Bellatrix asking to see her at the penthouse. While the letter was being delivered, he flooed to the penthouse to wait for his fiancée. As he waited he tried to decide how best to approach things with Bellatrix, but he still had no idea how to go about things an hour later when Bellatrix finally put in an appearance.

The second she walked into the front room, Lucius could see she was spoiling for a fight. Instantly he knew that laying down the law again would get him nowhere. What he would need to do was placate her, and possibly even back down completely and agree to listen to what she had to say about Voldemort.

"Before you say anything Bella, I need to apologise," Lucius began, jumping in before his fiancée had the time to say anything. "I was out of order last night, and I'm very sorry."

"You were out of order," Bellatrix agreed, slightly taken aback by the instant apology Lucius had given her. "And drunk."

"Yes, I'd had too much to drink," Lucius admitted. "I wasn't in the best of moods last night, and I took my temper out on you. For that I am profoundly sorry."

"I suppose it'll do for a start of an apology," Bellatrix said with a shrug. "Although if you really want me to forgive you, you'll have to do much more."

"I intend to give you a full apology Bella," Lucius vowed, walking over to his fiancée and taking her in his arms. "And then when I've finished, I'll give you the courtesy I denied you last night, and I'll listen to what you have to say."

"You'll listen to everything?" Bellatrix checked with a sly smile at getting her own way without really having to try.

"Everything," Lucius promised, letting his hands slide down Bellatrix's back and over her curvaceous backside.

"Now, about this apology," Bellatrix murmured, sliding the zipper down on the side of her dress.

"I'm on it," Lucius replied as he peeled Bellatrix's tight dress away from her body.

Kicking the dress to one side, Bellatrix settled herself down on the sofa. Not bothering to remove his own clothes as he knew his pleasure wouldn't matter for the time being, Lucius joined his fiancée on the sofa. Teasingly he removed the lacy green lingerie Bellatrix was wearing and lavished his attention on her seductive body. By the time his head was settled in-between her thighs, Bellatrix was thoroughly enjoying herself, and she screamed with pleasure, her long blood red nails digging into Lucius's shoulders as she climaxed. In a bid to keep Bellatrix completely sated and hopefully in a good mood, Lucius coaxed a second quick orgasm out of her before he sat back and surveyed what a good job he'd done. Within half an hour Bellatrix had gone from being ready to kick off, to lying naked and sated on the sofa.

"I hope that means I'm forgiven," Lucius remarked as Bellatrix stretched her body and he felt himself harden in response. Despite his feelings for Narcissa, he was still attracted to Bellatrix and even though the sex wasn't as fulfilling as it had once been, he still had to play the part of her fiancé.

"You're on the right track," Bellatrix replied in a contended purr. "I'll decide once we've finished."

"Finished doing what?" Lucius asked innocently as he ran his hand teasingly up her thigh.

"Not that," Bellatrix said, stopping Lucius's hand before it managed to delve into her still throbbing womanhood. "You said you would listen to me."

"Indeed I did," Lucius said, withdrawing his hand and sitting up. "Talk, and I'll listen to you."

"I think its best I covered up, or else you'll be totally distracted," Bellatrix chuckled as she rose to her feet and poured herself back into her dress, not bothering with her underwear.

Once Bellatrix was dressed, she settled herself back down beside Lucius and she began to talk. She explained all about what Voldemort wanted to do and how he was starting to gather his forces. Everything she was mentioning Voldemort wanted to do was exactly what Abraxas had feared and Lucius had to work hard not to lose his temper and point out how foolish it would be to get involved with the scheme. However, he was playing the long game and rather than dismiss Bellatrix out of hand when she finished, he agreed to think on what she'd told him.

"That's all I wanted you to do," Bellatrix said with a smug smirk as she gave Lucius a lingering kiss.

Bellatrix hadn't expected to talk Lucius into joining Voldemort right away, but at least now she'd gotten him to listen to her. However, while Bellatrix was convincing herself that she could talk him round she had no idea that her fiancé had no intention of ever joining Voldemort and his supporters. She had no idea that he was merely humouring her until he could find a way to tear her away from Voldemort and his darkness once and for all.


	12. Chapter 12

Narcissa stood in the centre of her bedroom, gazing at the note she'd received from Lucius earlier that day. The note merely had an address for a chalet in Austria, and now Narcissa had to decide whether to join Lucius or stay at home. She'd already given her parents a cover story of spending the weekend with one of her friends from Hogwarts, and her bag was packed for the weekend, but doubts were starting to creep in about whether or not to go ahead with her illicit weekend with Lucius.

On one hand, spending the weekend with Lucius was what Narcissa wanted more than anything in the world. On the other hand, she knew if she did spend the weekend with him she was betraying her sister in the worst possible way. Lucius had made it clear that if she went to him it would be the beginning of an affair, whereas if she stayed away he wouldn't bother her again. Narcissa knew the right thing to do was ignore the invitation, but her heart was in conflict with her head and she was dying to grasp happiness with Lucius, even if it just turned out to be temporary.

Making a decision, Narcissa memorised the address before she slipped the note into her bag and removed the bracelet she'd gotten from Lucius from it's velvet bag. Fastening the bracelet around her wrist, she picked up her bag and headed from her room before she changed her mind. Not wanting her parents to be able to trace her, Narcissa called out her goodbyes before flooing to The Leaky Cauldron to use a public floo connection.

The trip cost Narcissa a few sickles as international travel required a special floo connection, but she knew it was worth it the second she alighted from a fire in a luxurious chalet. The chalet was open plan and the living room led into a small kitchen area and dining area. The wooden stairs led to the upper level, which overlooked the ground floor, and that was where Narcissa found Lucius standing watching her arrival.

"You came," he said as he made his way down the stairs. "I wasn't sure you would."

"Neither was I," Narcissa admitted. "I've changed my mind about ten times today."

"I'm pleased this is the answer you settled on," Lucius said softly.

"So am I," Narcissa replied. "Even if I do feel really guilty."

"I do too," Lucius said, even though he suspected that Narcissa's guilt was more overwhelming since she actually loved the witch they were both betraying. "But I think if we're going to do this, we're going to have to forget about Bellatrix while we're together."

"I don't know if I can do that," Narcissa confessed as Lucius finally reached where she was standing.

"We're going to have to, Narcissa," Lucius said softly as he took hold of her hand. "We're still not going to have lots of time together, and I don't want what little time we do have being ruined by our guilt. I suggest we make a rule that when we're together, we focus on the two of us. Let's leave Bellatrix and the entire mess we're in at the door whenever we're together."

"It's not going to be easy, but I think you're right. When we're together we need to forget about my sister," Narcissa said.

"In that case, we'll say no more about Bellatrix," Lucius announced. "How about I give you the guided tour."

"Guided tour?" Narcissa laughed. "I can see everything from here."

"Not everything," Lucius replied with a grin, tugging on Narcissa's hand and leading her towards the stairs.

Leaving her bag beside the fireplace, Narcissa let Lucius lead her up the stairs. The top floor was just as luxuriously decorated as the ground floor and Narcissa's eyes immediately fell to the king sized bed covered in an emerald green silk cover and black and white throw pillows.

"I wasn't talking about the bed," Lucius whispered in Narcissa's ear. "But I'm sure it'll get plenty of action over the next few days."

"We'll see," Narcissa replied, giving Lucius a cheeky smirk. "So if you weren't bring me up here to see the bed, what do you want me to see?"

"This," Lucius answered, tugging Narcissa over to the large glass doors that offered stunning views of the snowy mountains the chalet was nestled in.

Lucius pulled open the doors and took Narcissa out on the balcony. At first she thought he was merely showing her the view, but then she realised the balcony wrapped around the entire chalet and standing in the corner was a large hot tub. Narcissa walked over to the hot tub and admired the view from that part of the balcony.

"What do you think?" Lucius asked eagerly.

"It's a bit exposed, isn't it?" Narcissa replied. She couldn't see any other chalets or cabins in the immediate vicinity, but judging from the address of the chalet she was guessing they were only a few minutes way from a posh Austrian wizarding town she'd visited a few times with her parents.

"You're worried about someone seeing us?" Lucius laughed.

"Call me crazy, but I'm not big on exhibitionism," Narcissa replied with a shrug.

"The entire balcony has a privacy charm on it," Lucius explained. "We could walk around stark naked and someone could be right down below us and see nothing. Not that it's likely to happen as we're about ten minutes away from the nearest town and all the good skiing takes place in the opposite direction. We're pretty much alone out here."

"I'm still not sure," Narcissa said with an undecided hum. "Even if we are private and no-one can see, I haven't got a bathing costume with me. After I got your note, I packed according to the destination."

"Who needs bathing costumes," Lucius replied with a grin. "I was thinking we could lose our clothes completely before we use the hot tub."

"I'll think about it," Narcissa said with a sly smile as she turned to head back into the chalet. "But for now, let's get settled in."

"Has anyone every told you that you're a tease, Narcissa Black," Lucius said with a pout as he followed Narcissa back into the bedroom.

"I wasn't aware I was teasing," Narcissa replied. "Surely you didn't expect me to jump on you the second I arrived."

"The thought had crossed my mind," Lucius admitted. Part of him had wondered if they would give into their passion straight away, but instead the tension had been slowly rising as he acted like a perfect gentleman with his potential lover.

"I'm not that easy Lucius," Narcissa said with a soft smile. "We both know what's going to happen this weekend, but that doesn't mean I'm going to strip off and jump into the hot tub with you seconds after arriving. Or is sex all you want from me?"

"It's not all I want," Lucius replied honestly. "I want us to enjoy the entire weekend, Narcissa, not just the times we're making love."

"Good answer," Narcissa chuckled. "Do you have anything planned for dinner? I should warn you, I'm not much of a cook. In fact I've never cooked anything in my entire life."

"Me either, but I've had meals prepared for us. All we have to do is heat them up," Lucius replied. "Why don't I go and arrange dinner while you unpack and settle in."

"It sounds like a plan," Narcissa replied with a smile as Lucius headed downstairs and passed her bag up so she could start unpacking.

By the time Narcissa had unpacked, and freshened up using the adjoining bathroom, Lucius had laid out a romantic dinner on the dining room table. Dozens of candles had appeared from somewhere and they were floating around the entire ground floor, bathing it in a soft light.

"This is amazing," Narcissa said as Lucius pulled out the chair for her to sit down at the table. "I feel under dressed." She was still wearing the soft lilac jumper and long black skirt she'd been wearing upon her arrival and she was now wishing she'd changed into something a bit dressier.

"You're perfect as you are," Lucius replied with a genuine smile. Even in casual clothes, Narcissa looked elegant and beautiful, and in Lucius's opinion she could easily outshine someone who was dressed up to the nines.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're very charming, Lucius," Narcissa said with a chuckle. "You always know the right thing to say to a witch."

"It has been said before," Lucius confessed with a smirk. "But I can assure you, everything I say to you is true. You look lovely, Narcissa."

"Thank you," Narcissa replied, blushing slightly as Lucius's deep grey eyes bored into her.

Dinner was a seafood paella with white chocolate and passion fruit ice-cream for dessert, and conversation flowed throughout the meal. Aside from flirting with one another, the pair talked about their lives while carefully avoiding the subject of Bellatrix. They shared plenty of stories from their childhood and their time at Hogwarts with each other, before relocating into the front room once they'd finished eating.

As well as lighting the candles earlier, Lucius had disconnected the floo and now a roaring fire was burning brightly in the hearth. Instead of sitting on the large cream sofa, Narcissa settled herself down on the deep red rug in front of the fire and gestured for Lucius to join her. Neither of them had to discuss what was going to happen next and it was the most natural thing in the world when they began to kiss each other.

"I'd forgotten how good this feels," Lucius muttered against Narcissa's lips.

"Really?" Narcissa questioned. "Because all I have to do is close my eyes and I can remember what it feels like to be with you."

"A memory is never as good as the real thing," Lucius replied. "But I do know what you mean. The memory of Paris is etched into my mind for all eternity."

"Let's make some new memories," Narcissa suggested, un-tucking Lucius's shirt and sliding her hands underneath to his smooth skin.

"Sounds good to me," Lucius replied, re-catching Narcissa's lips with his.

Ever so slowly, in between languid kisses and soft caresses, the couple began to undress each other. Each piece of clothing was discarded with no thought as to where it landed and it was only sheer luck that stooped anything landing on an open flame of one of the candles floating around the room. Not that Lucius and Narcissa cared about the potential fire hazard as they only had eyes, and hands, for each other.

"You are so beautiful," Lucius declared as he removed Narcissa's knickers, leaving her lying naked on the fluffy red rug.

"So are you," Narcissa replied, her eyes darting over Lucius's impressive body, which was already fully unclothed.

"I mean it, you're perfect," Lucius said with a feeling as he lowered his mouth to Narcissa's right breast.

Running his tongue around her right nipple, his hand travelled to her left to pay it some attention as well. After a few minutes Lucius switched his attention to Narcissa's left breast, and she tangled her fingers in his long blond hair, enjoying his ministrations. Slowly Lucius's attention crept south and Narcissa let out a loud moan as Lucius's talented tongue got to work between her legs. Eager to hear more from Narcissa, Lucius upped his work rate and a smirk settled on his lips as Narcissa was soon writhing and moaning beneath his touch.

"Lucius!" Narcissa moaned loudly as her climax washed over her.

"Beautiful," Lucius whispered appreciatively as his gaze wandered over Narcissa in her post orgasmic bliss.

"I suppose you want me to repay the favour," Narcissa said with a smirk as she recovered from her orgasm.

"Not now," Lucius answered, giving Narcissa a leisurely kiss. "Right now, all I want is to be buried inside you, making love to you."

Narcissa whimpered softly at Lucius's words and she had no complaints as he did just that and buried himself deep inside her. Pulling Lucius back down into a searing kiss, Narcissa managed to roll them over so she was on top of her lover. Smirking down at Lucius, she rose herself up to her full height and gave him a hell of a show as she began to slowly ride him. Lucius loved every second of Narcissa being on top and he took full advantage of having her delightful body on full display to him as his hands explored her soft flesh. Eventually, Lucius's desire to be in control asserted itself and he flipped Narcissa back underneath him as the pair climaxed within seconds of each other.

In the flickering candlelight, the couple made love twice more before pulling their sated bodies to their feet and heading upstairs. Too exhausted to make love again, they merely snuggled up in each other's arms as sleep threatened to claim them and put an end to their day.

"I'm so happy you decided to give us a chance," Lucius whispered in Narcissa's ear.

"So am I," Narcissa replied sleepily, a contented smile on her lips. She knew what they were doing was wrong, but she'd never been happier in her life, and she didn't for one minute regret taking Lucius up on his offer to spend the weekend together.


	13. Chapter 13

"I wish we didn't have to leave," Narcissa muttered, her arms wrapped around Lucius's neck as they said a prolonged goodbye.

"Me too," Lucius replied with a soft sigh.

It was late on Sunday afternoon and the pair were getting ready to depart from the chalet in Austria. They'd had the perfect weekend together, but now it was time to get back to reality. However, neither of them were in any rush to get back to their normal lives.

"When can I see you again?" Lucius asked.

"Whenever you want," Narcissa replied with a soft smile. She still felt guilty over what she was doing, but the weekend had been enough to convince her that she should grab what happiness she could with Lucius while she had the chance.

"I'll send you an owl when I know when I'm free," Lucius said.

"Okay, but don't use your owl," Narcissa said. "It's rather distinctive and I don't want my parents questioning why you're contacting me all the time."

"I'll use one of the office owls," Lucius promised.

"I'll look forward to it," Narcissa replied, leaning up and pecking Lucius on the lips. "But, I really have to go now."

"Me too," Lucius answered, making no move to let Narcissa out of his grasp.

Part of Lucius wanted to beg Narcissa to stay with him and run off and start a new life together, but the sensible part of him knew that it wasn't possible. At least it wasn't possible at the moment. If they ran now they would be left with nothing, and Lucius had already decided that if he was going to risk everything for Narcissa, he was going to be prepared for the worst. If he followed his heart, Lucius was expecting to be disowned by his father, but before he would even think of telling Abraxas anything, he would make sure he had some money tucked away so that he and Narcissa weren't left destitute.

"Lucius, I need to go," Narcissa repeated, breaking into Lucius's daydream of running off with the witch he loved.

"We're doing this again soon," Lucius vowed, his grey eyes gazing meaningfully into Narcissa's.

"I'd like that," Narcissa replied with a smile. Giving Lucius another kiss, she then extracted herself from his hold and with one final look at her lover, she entered the floo and headed back to England.

Lucius remained in Austria long enough to secure the chalet, before he then used the floo to head back to the manor. Throwing his bag down for the elves to unpack, Lucius wandered over to his desk to see if he had any messages. He'd left the window above the desk open, and he knew that since he hadn't been at home, and messages would have been dropped on the desk. However, there were no messages, so Lucius left his wing of the manor in search of his father.

Lucius found Abraxas in the library, and his father barely grunted when he announced he was home. In fact, he only reacted when Lucius informed him that he was just saying a quick hello, before getting ready and going out for the evening with Nigel Nott and Horatio Parkinson.

"It seems like you're never at home these days, Lucius," Abraxas remarked.

"I've got a busy life to lead," Lucius replied with a shrug.

"I hope this busy life involves sorting your wayward fiancée," Abraxas said. "I'm warning you Lucius, you need to get Bellatrix in line before she does something to embarrass the family."

"I'm working on it," Lucius promised.

"How?" Abraxas demanded.

"I'm currently letting her think she's talking me around to her way of thinking," Lucius answered. "After my reaction the other week, it's going to seem suspicious if I'm suddenly on board with her ideas, so I'm allowing her to persuade me that she's right. That should take a few weeks."

"And then?" Abraxas prodded. "Once she thinks you're on board, she's going to want you to prove yourself. I don't want you getting caught up in this nonsense, Lucius."

"I won't be," Lucius vowed. "And don't worry about Bella. By the time she's convinced I'm on board, I'll have a plan to get her away from Voldemort."

"Make sure you do," Abraxas warned his son, giving him a meaningful glare before returning his focus to his book.

Leaving his father to enjoy his reading, Lucius returned to his bedroom to get ready for his evening out. The evening had been arranged last week, but now Lucius was regretting arranging to meet his friends the very day he came back from his weekend with Narcissa. He would much rather stay at home and think about the weekend he'd just enjoyed, but he'd made a promise and Lucius didn't like to let his friends down. Besides, his father had rather spoilt his mood anyway as now Lucius was back to worrying about how to deal with Bellatrix and her love of the dark arts.

To be honest, Lucius had allowed himself to become so caught up in his relationship with Narcissa that he'd failed to think about his problem with Bellatrix. He'd already laid the groundwork to allow Bellatrix to think she was winning his round, but Lucius knew he would have to do something else to get her out of the grasp of Lord Voldemort. At the moment, he just didn't have a clue as to how he was going to save his fiancée from the darkness. But he did know that whatever happened between him and Bellatrix, he wanted to save her. He might not love her, but he did care for her, and he didn't want her to get sucked into any trouble with Voldemort and his ridiculous crusade.

With his mind still on Bellatrix, Lucius got ready and headed to the bar where he was due to meet his friends. Nigel was already there when Lucius arrived, and the pair were sharing a drink and catching up when Horatio arrived.

"Finally, a chance for some excitement," Horatio muttered as he slumped down opposite his two friends.

"Bored, are you?" Nigel asked with a chuckle. He often thought his friend's life as the perfect pureblood seemed deadly dull, but Horatio usually seemed content with his life.

"I've had nothing to do all weekend," Horatio complained. "Narcissa had the cheek to go away for the weekend without telling me. I didn't know anything about it until I called at her parents yesterday to take her out for the afternoon."

"A witch with a mind of her own, fancy that," Nigel laughed. "She doesn't sound your type at all, Horatio."

"I'll soon whip her into shape," Horatio replied with a casual shrug. "Once our engagement is official, she'll not be swanning off for weekends away without first asking my permission."

"I can't see her agreeing to that," Lucius said with a smirk. "Narcissa definitely has a mind of her own. Even if you get married, I still can't see her bowing down to your orders."

"She will once I've finished with her," Horatio replied haughtily. "And what do you mean, even if we get married. It's a done deal."

"Really?" Nigel questioned with a raised eyebrow. "You're still not officially engaged yet."

"It's a mere formality," Horatio replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The only reason we haven't made it official is because of Lucius and Bellatrix's upcoming wedding. Narcissa doesn't want to overshadow her sister. The second Bellatrix is a Malfoy, we'll get engaged."

"That's a long time to wait," Nigel remarked. "How far off is your wedding Lucius, six months?"

"Yeah, it's about six months away," Lucius replied with a nod.

"As I said, a long time to wait," Nigel said with a shrug, causing Horatio to frown and lapse into a contemplative silence.

Sitting opposite his friend, Lucius got the distinct impression that Horatio was now going to push to make his engagement to Narcissa official. Lucius had been hoping Narcissa's engagement wouldn't be official before the wedding, meaning it would be much easier to persuade her to give them a real chance. However, if she was officially engaged to Horatio, she would be just as stuck as him and yet more people were going to get hurt. Although, he could always try and put a spanner in the works and get Bellatrix to insist that Narcissa didn't get engaged until they were married, but then he would have to try and find a reason why he didn't want the pair engaged that his fiancée would believe without becoming suspicious of him.

"Why don't we forget witches for the rest of the night," Nigel suggested, noting the sour look on Horatio's face.

"Sounds good to me," Lucius said, eager to leave the topic of Narcissa and Horatio behind.

"Yeah, damn women are more trouble than they're worth," Horatio said. "I know, we'll have a few more drinks here and then I'll take you two to somewhere with a bit more of a kick."

"It's not strippers, is it?" Nigel asked. "I've heard a few of these sleazy strip places have opened up recently after being inspired by muggles."

"As if I would take you anywhere inspired by muggles," Horatio sneered. "Trust me, you'll love this new place I've found."

With Horatio refusing to be drawn any further on the new place he'd found for them, they settled with having a couple more drinks before moving on. When they left the bar, Horatio took charge and grabbing hold of both of his friends, he apparated them into the night. When they landed, Lucius's stomach dropped as he saw they were in Knockturn Alley.

"What the hell is there in Knockturn Alley?" Nigel asked with a frown on his face.

"A very secret place," Horatio replied with a smirk as he headed towards the very door Bellatrix had taken Lucius to months earlier.

"Wait," Lucius called, stopping his friend before he could knock on the door.

"What's wrong?" Horatio asked, hoping that Lucius didn't already know about the club as for once he wanted to be the one taking the lead.

"I'm not going in there," Lucius said.

"In where?" Nigel asked. "I still don't get what we're doing here."

"There's a private club in the street which specialises in dark arts," Lucius explained. "Bella brought me here months ago."

"And what, you didn't like it?" Horatio questioned with a frown. He'd only been to the club a couple of times, but he'd loved it and he'd thought it would be right up Lucius's street.

"The club itself is okay, it's the company I wasn't keen on," Lucius replied. "Bellatrix took me to meet Lord Voldemort."

"He's real?" Nigel asked with a gasp. "I thought he was a myth."

"He's very real," Lucius answered, not hiding his distaste for the dark wizard. "He's also recruiting for a war he's wanting to rage against muggleborns."

"Don't tell me you're supporting mudbloods now," Horatio sneered.

"You know my opinions on muggleborns," Lucius replied with a shrug. "I don't like them, but they have their place in our world. I for one, won't be pulled into a war which can't be won. You go into the club if you want, Horatio, but I won't be joining you."

"I have no desire to be sucked into a war," Nigel said, backing away from the door his friend had been leading them to. "I like our world the way it is."

"You don't have to be part of a war, all you have to do is come inside and have a few drinks," Horatio argued. "No-one is being forced to do anything."

"You're right, I'm not being forced to do anything," Lucius said. "Which is why I'm choosing to leave."

"Suit yourself," Horatio snapped. "Nigel, are you coming?"

"Nah, I'm going to give it a miss," Nigel said apologetically.

Horatio shook his head, and glaring at Lucius, he turned and banged on the door. Seconds later, he'd disappeared down into the club, leaving his two friends on the street. Turning to Nigel, Lucius asked him if he wanted to grab another drink elsewhere, and the two wizards headed off to continue their evening free from the seductive grip of the dark arts.

* * *

 ** _..._**

* * *

Unbeknown to Lucius, if he'd accompanied his friend into the club he would have come face to face with his fiancée. Bellatrix was rapidly becoming a regular in the club, and in particular in the room Lord Voldemort occupied. Every evening their numbers were growing and there were now dozens of people who bore The Dark Mark, and had vowed to serve Voldemort in any way they could.

As usual, Bellatrix spent most of the evening in Voldemort's company, and when The Dark Lord had decided he'd had enough and dismissed everyone, he yet again made sure Bellatrix remained at his side. Despite the fact Bellatrix was nearly a married woman it hadn't stopped the pair from starting a torrid affair, and they made the most of every opportunity they had to spend together.

"I think we're coming along very nicely," Voldemort remarked as Bellatrix poured them both a generous glass of firewhisky from the bottles that were kept behind his private bar. "A lot of people are eager to join the cause."

"That's because it's a very good cause," Bellatrix answered with a smile as she handed her lover a glass of firewhisky.

"That young lad tonight seemed keen," Voldemort remarked. "I don't suppose you know who he is, do you?"

"I do actually," Bellatrix chuckled. "His name is Parkinson, Horatio Parkinson. In actual fact, he's going to be getting engaged to my little sister soon."

"Interesting," Voldemort mused. "And is your sister cut from the same cloth as you, Bella?"

"I'm afraid not," Bellatrix answered with a rueful shake of her head. As much as she loved Narcissa, she wasn't allowing her beautiful little sister anywhere near Voldemort. "Cissy is lovely, and she's a perfect pureblood, but she's no fighter. She would however make an ideal wife for one of your supporters."

"Shame, I think we could do with more women in the ranks," Voldemort said. "And speaking of bolstering the ranks, how are things going with Lucius. I still haven't seen him again."

"Lucius is a very stubborn man," Bellatrix admitted as she settled herself on Voldemort's lap, giving him a view down her low-cut dress. "He's too easily influenced by his father, and Abraxas likes a quiet life."

"Are you saying he won't be joining us?" Voldemort asked, not at all happy with the news as he knew Lucius could bring a lot of other young wizards with him if he joined his service.

"He'll be joining us," Bellatrix said confidently. "I just need to talk him around. Trust me, My Lord, you'll soon have Lucius Malfoy exactly where you want him."

"I better had, Bellatrix," Voldemort growled, sliding his hand under Bellatrix's dress and making a bee-line for the warmth between her thighs. "I don't like being denied."

"You won't be," Bellatrix purred. "Trust me, I have Lucius eating out of the palm of my hand. He's devoted to me, and he'll do whatever I want. Just have patience and Lucius will be one of us."

Trusting that Bellatrix knew what she was talking about and had her fiancé exactly where she wanted him, Voldemort let the subject drop and instead focused on his sexual urges. He'd never met a witch quite like Bellatrix, and he'd never desired anyone the way he did her. He couldn't get enough of her, and he knew that wouldn't change. Even when she was Mrs Malfoy, he would still want her, and he fully intended to keep on seeing her even when she was married. Nothing was going to make him give up Bellatrix, and he had every confidence with her and her future husband by his side, he could achieve what he wanted. He could rid the wizarding world of muggleborns and take charge of the entire magical population. He would be a god, and nothing was going to stop him.


	14. Chapter 14

Following her illicit weekend with Lucius, Narcissa was walking on air and she couldn't stop smiling. Not even an invitation to have lunch with Bellatrix, dampened her spirits. She was still feeling guilty about what she was doing, but the chance of finding some happiness with Lucius, even if it was just brief, was too powerful to be tainted by her guilt. She did suspect she would feel guiltier if Bellatrix genuinely loved Lucius, but Narcissa was confident that her sister didn't love her fiancé.

"You seem remarkably happy, Cissy," Bellatrix remarked as the two sisters ate their lunch in a beautiful little country café overlooking a river.

"Is that a crime?" Narcissa asked.

"No, in fact I'm pleased to see you looking so happy," Bellatrix replied. "Horatio seems to be good for you."

"Horatio?" Narcissa frowned, wondering why her sister had brought up the wizard she was supposed to be getting engaged to. "What does he have to do with anything?"

"Is he not the one putting the smile on your face?" Bellatrix asked.

"We barely know each other," Narcissa replied with an elegant shrug.

"You will soon enough when the engagement becomes official," Bellatrix said.

"That's not for months yet," Narcissa said, hoping she didn't sound quite as relieved as she felt at that idea. She'd accepted that marrying Horatio was for the best once Lucius and Bellatrix were married, but that didn't mean she liked the idea or was looking forward to it.

"Why the delay?" Bellatrix questioned.

"Why do you think?" Narcissa retorted, looking at her sister as though she wasn't thinking straight. "You're getting married in just over five months in case you've forgotten."

"I haven't forgotten," Bellatrix replied with a smirk. "But I'm not sure what that's got to do with your engagement."

"Daddy thought we should hold off on the engagement as to not overshadow your big day," Narcissa explained. She was sure she'd already told Bellatrix this, but as usual her sister clearly hadn't been listening to her.

"Nothing will overshadow my big day," Bellatrix announced confidently. "Seriously though, Cissy, you should make it official sooner rather than later. You don't want Horatio been snapped up by anyone else, do you? He's a bit of a catch, you know."

"He is?" Narcissa queried, even though she knew as a Parkinson, Horatio was considered a catch in their world.

"You know he is, Cissy," Bellatrix laughed. "And trust me, he's just the sort of wizard you need to be marrying. He's going places, you mark my words."

"How can he be going places? He does nothing," Narcissa said with a snort. Unlike Lucius and his friend, Nigel Nott, Horatio was content to sit back and live the life of a spoilt pureblood rather than working and increasing the family fortunes and reputation.

"Not everyone feels the desire to work like my fiancé," Bellatrix replied. In fact it rather annoyed her that Lucius spent so much time working when he didn't have to as he had more than enough money for several generations of Malfoy to live in luxury without having to lift a finger. "There are other ways to make an impression, and Horatio is making one on the right person."

"I don't understand," Narcissa said with a frown. "Who is Horatio making an impression on?"

"Someone very important," Bellatrix answered, not wanting to be drawn on Voldemort in case her sister wanted to meet the dark wizard. "Just trust me, Cissy. Get yourself engaged to Horatio as fast as you can. Don't worry about outshining me, I'm perfectly happy for you to announce your engagement. Christmas parties will be starting soon, so one of them will be perfect for making the announcement."

"We'll see," Narcissa muttered.

"Nonsense, I'll speak to Daddy and sort everything out," Bellatrix insisted. "By the end of the year, you will officially be the future Mrs Parkinson. You'll also soon be finished sorting my wedding, so you can look towards your own then. You never know, you might be able to get married just a few months after me."

"Something to look forward to," Narcissa muttered sarcastically.

"That's the spirit, Cissy," Bellatrix chuckled, not realising her sisters words hadn't been genuine. "Now enough about your love life, let's focus on mine. Mother's been bugging me to sort the honeymoon. Where do you think we should go?"

"I have no idea," Narcissa replied. Her bright mood had well and truly disappeared, and the last thing she wanted to do was discuss her sister's honeymoon.

"The Malfoys have properties all around the world, but I don't know if we'd be better off staying at a hotel," Bellatrix mused. "At a hotel you get people waiting on you, but at a private residence you have to fend for yourself."

"There's always house elves," Narcissa remarked.

"Yes, but there's always a risk of frightening a house elf if they catch you in the act," Bellatrix said. "This will be our honeymoon and Lucius and I will spend most of the time naked. I don't want to frighten some poor house elf because they happen to walk in on Lucius with his tackle on show. Believe me Cissy, the poor elves will be beside themselves at the sight of my Lucius naked."

Narcissa ground her teeth together as Bellatrix refereed to Lucius as hers. Although things just got worse as Bellatrix then proceeded to confide in Narcissa what a talented lover, Lucius was. Of course Narcissa knew all about Lucius's talents in the bedroom, and outside of the bedroom, but she didn't want to think of him and Bellatrix together. She wasn't naive, and she knew the pair had sex, but it wasn't something she wanted to dwell on.

"I'm sorry, this is very insensitive of me," Bellatrix suddenly exclaimed as she realised her sister had gone quiet.

"How is it insensitive?" Narcissa asked, her heart beating wildly as she wondered if her sister was onto her dirty secret.

"Here's me bragging about my red hot sex life and you're not even officially engaged yet," Bellatrix said. "You won't have even seen Horatio's goods yet. Although that's something you should check out, Cissy. You don't have to go all the way, but at least check him out and make sure he's in full working order."

"Bella," Narcissa hissed, blushing at the thought of checking out a naked Horatio.

"Don't Bella me, it's important to know what you're getting into before you commit to anything," Bellatrix tutted. "Trust me, you don't want to be married to a wizard who doesn't know how to keep you satisfied in the bedroom."

"I have no intention of checking Horatio out," Narcissa said primly. "I'm marrying him because he's a good match, not because I love him. Truth be told, I don't even really like him."

"Even if you don't like him, you can still be compatible in the sex department," Bellatrix said. "Or are you just scared of seeing him naked? Don't worry Cissy, there's a first time for all of us."

"I'm not some innocent little virgin, Bella," Narcissa hissed, lowering her voice so no-one else heard.

"Good, in that case you should have no problem checking out Horatio's goods," Bellatrix said. "You do that and I'll speak to father about making the engagement official."

Knowing there was no arguing with her sister when she'd made up her mind about something, Narcissa quietly nodded her head in agreement. Not that she had any intention of checking out Horatio without his clothes on. No matter what he was like in the bedroom department she would marry him because she couldn't have the man she loved, and if she couldn't have Lucius, Narcissa wasn't really bothered who she ended up with.

Of course she was also secretly hoping that once they'd gone their separate ways, Bellatrix would forget about trying to get her engagement made official. After all, Bellatrix wasn't the best at remembering to think about other people, so Narcissa was hoping that she would do what she usually did and forgot about their conversation the second they were out of each other's sight.

* * *

 _ **...**_

* * *

Lucius was a bundle of nerves as he waited for Narcissa to arrive at the manor. Knowing they needed to keep things low-key so no-one got wind of their affair, Lucius had waited nearly a week to contact his lover and arrange a meeting. His intention had been to meet at the penthouse in London, but Narcissa hadn't been happy with the idea. Not only was she worried about Bellatrix walking in on them, it was where Bellatrix and Lucius spent most of their time and she was adamant she wasn't using the same bed where Lucius had made love to Bellatrix on numerous occasions. Not wanting to upset Narcissa, and conceding that she had a point about the penthouse being Bellatrix's domain, Lucius had moved the meeting to the manor.

Even though Lucius had promised not to bring witches back to the manor, he knew his father wouldn't find out about Narcissa staying the night. Not only would she arrive in his wing of the manor and then leave again without ever having left his wing, Lucius knew his father respected his privacy and would never just turn up in his rooms unannounced. Besides, since he was engaged to Bellatrix and they always met up in the penthouse there was no reason for Abraxas to even suspect Lucius had broken his promise to him regrading witches in the manor.

When Narcissa arrived she looked stunning in a black and purple dress, and Lucius didn't even give her a chance to assess her surroundings before he'd swept her up in his arms and greeted her with a searing kiss.

"Mmm, what a welcome," Narcissa murmured as their lips finally parted.

"There's more what that came from," Lucius vowed with a wicked grin.

"Easy tiger, we've got all night," Narcissa chuckled, planting her hand on Lucius's chest to stop him from ravishing her right there and then. "Why don't you show me your home?"

As much as he wanted to take Narcissa right away, Lucius played the good host and showed his lover around his wing of the manor. Unsurprisingly the tour ended in his bedroom, and taking hold of Narcissa's hand, Lucius led her over to his bed. However, he didn't rush anything and rather than settling them down on the expensive covers they sat perched on the end of the bed.

"So what do you think?" he asked.

"It's a lovely place," Narcissa replied. "Your wing really suits you."

"Are you okay?" Lucius questioned, aware that Narcissa was quieter than normal and seemed a bit subdued. He just hoped she wasn't going to end things before they got going.

"Not really," Narcissa replied with a sigh. "I was talking to my father before I came out and he thinks it's time to make my engagement to Horatio official."

"I thought he wanted to wait until after the wedding," Lucius said, shocked at the sudden change of heart from Narcissa's father. If he'd had any idea he was thinking of bringing the engagement forward he would have spoken to Bella like he'd decided, but he'd thought he had time. "Is this Horatio's idea?"

"No, it's Bella's," Narcissa admitted.

"Bella?" Lucius repeated. "What's it got to do with her?"

"She seems to think we're the perfect match," Narcissa replied. "I don't know how he's done it, but Horatio has impressed her in some way. She kept gushing about how he's going places."

"The only place he's going is to Azkaban," Lucius snorted as everything started to make sense in his head.

"Azkaban!" Narcissa gasped. "I don't understand. What aren't you telling me Lucius?"

Taking a deep breath, Lucius told Narcissa about the dark arts club Bellatrix had dragged him to months ago, and about Voldemort. He explained how Bellatrix was getting mixed up with Voldemort's crazy schemes, and how Horatio had taken him and Nigel to the club a few days ago.

"Are you saying Horatio is getting mixed up in all this darkness?" Narcissa questioned, getting to her feet and wandered over to the window.

"If Bella's singing his praises, I would say so," Lucius replied with a sigh. "I'm sorry Narcissa, but you need to know the truth before you agree to marry him. If he continues down the same path as your sister, he could drag you down with him."

"And what about Bella? If what you're saying is true, she's going to drag you down with her," Narcissa whispered, cursing her sister for being so stupid. Lucius had explained what this so called Dark Lord wanted, and like him and Abraxas, she agreed that the idea was pure madness.

"I'll sort your sister," Lucius reassured Narcissa as he wrapped his arms around her and placed a soft kiss on her soft blonde hair. "You need to worry about what you're going to do about Horatio."

"Not now," Narcissa said, turning around in Lucius's arms and smiling up at her lover. "Thank you for warning me, but it's a problem for another day. We don't get a lot of time together so we should make the most of what we do have."

"I couldn't agree more," Lucius said.

Giving Narcissa a wicked grin, Lucius swept her up in his arms and carried her back over to the bed. Settling her down in the centre of his large bed, he climbed up next to her and for the next couple of hours all their focus was on each other as they slowly undressed each other and made love. Afterwards the couple lay contended in each other's arms, eating the snacks the house elves had provided, and talking about anything but Bellatrix, Horatio and the messed up situation they found themselves in.


	15. Chapter 15

Cygnus Black glared at his youngest daughter is disbelief, hardly able to believe what she was saying. Of all his daughters, Narcissa had always been the one he'd had the least trouble with, yet here she was dropping a major bombshell on him. He expected such behaviour from Bellatrix, who'd always been headstrong and had caused him and his wife no end of grief over the years, but Narcissa had always been the golden child – the daughter who could do no wrong in Cygnus's eyes.

"I'm not sure I heard you correctly, Narcissa," Cygnus said slowly, lacing his voice with a silent warning for his youngest daughter.

"You heard me perfectly well, Father," Narcissa replied steadily, even though her heart was racing and her palms were sweating. She never disobeyed her father, yet she was standing in his study doing just that as she informed him that she wouldn't be going through with the engagement to Horatio Parkinson. "I will not be marrying Horatio."

"And what has changed your mind?" Cygnus asked his daughter. "You practically begged me to find you a husband, and you seemed perfectly content with Horatio as the choice. Now I'll admit he's not quite as charming or as influential as your sister's betrothed, but he comes from a good family and he would take good care you, Narcissa."

"I'm not questioning his credibility as a husband. As you say, the Parkinsons are a good solid pureblood family and I know that if I married him, Horatio will give my anything my heart desires."

"Then what is the problem?" Cygnus frowned, not understanding where his daughter's change of heart had come from. "And please don't start whittling on about love like she did," he added with a hiss, refusing to even say his middle daughter's name. "Love isn't necessary for the basis of a good marriage. Look at your mother and I. Our union was arranged and we certainly didn't love each other when we got married."

"Do you love each other now?" Narcissa asked, genuinely curious about the answer. Her parents had always made the perfect team and were undoubtedly a good match, but Narcissa had never been sure that there was much genuine affection between them.

"We respect and care for each other," Cygnus replied. "After you and Bella, your mother is the most important person in my life. I would never do anything to hurt her, and I would be genuinely lost without her. I'm sure in time you could have the same thing with Horatio."

"It's not about love, Daddy. I don't love him, but I know it's not necessary to make a marriage work. I know that the chances of me actually loving the wizard I marry are slim," Narcissa said with a dramatic sigh. What she didn't say was that the chances of her loving the wizard she married was zero, as she was already in love and she already knew that she would not be marrying him.

"Then what is the problem?" Cygnus demanded.

"I've recently found out something about Horatio that changes everything."

"He's not a homosexual, is he?" Cygnus asked warily. He'd heard rumours of such behaviour in certain quarters of the wizarding world, but he wouldn't have had Horatio pegged as someone who preferred the company of other men.

"Horatio isn't gay," Narcissa said, an amused smile flicking over her lips at what Horatio would say if he'd heard his father's question.

"Then what is the problem?" Cygnus repeated, growing weary of his daughter beating around the bush.

"There's this underground club in London, and it encourages people to talk about the Dark Arts."

"I've heard of such places. It's just a shame they have to be hidden. There was a time you could talk about any sort of magic you wished wherever you wished, but not these days. It's frowned upon to be a fan of the Dark Arts."

"I know that, and I have no problem with Horatio expressing an interest in the Dark Arts," Narcissa interrupted, not wanting her father to start ranting about how the wizarding world was changing as she knew that if he did start, he could go on for hours. "I'm concerned with the company he's keeping while at the club."

"Now, now, Narcissa, all men stray from time to time," Cygnus said with a low chuckle. "It's the natural order of things. You must learn to turn a blind eye and remember that you're the one he's coming home to."

Narcissa frowned at her father's words, not liking them one bit, but understanding that for the most part in pureblood society, it was a truth that witches had to live with. Very few pureblood men were faithful to their wives as most of them had partaken in arranged marriages and therefore didn't love their wives. Of course there was the odd exception and in her heart Narcissa knew that if her father had chosen her to be betrothed to Lucius rather than her sister, there was no way he would have been cheating on her like he was currently doing to Bellatrix.

"I'm not talking about other witches," Narcissa said, returning to the topic at hand before she let her mind wander to Lucius and how things could have been different for them. "Horatio is getting mixed up with a wizard called Lord Voldemort."

"Interesting," Cygnus interrupted with a thoughtful nod of his head. "I'd heard rumours he was around again. Back in the day it was said he was recruiting like-minded individuals to stand with him as he challenged the authorities of our world. Of course nothing came of it and he just seemed to disappear into the night."

"Well he's back and once again he's recruiting," Narcissa informed her father. "Only this time he's branding his followers and inciting them to help him wage war."

"War?" Cygnus paled at the very word and what it could mean for their world. "Against whom?"

"Muggleborns and all those who support them and their rights to be part of our world."

"But that's just foolish," Cygnus scoffed. "Aside from the most rigid purebloods, no-one will support such a cause. You know me Narcissa, I'm as dismissive as muggleborns as the next decent pureblood wizard, but trying to run them out of our world is ridiculous."

"I quite agree, but it would seem Horatio is of a different opinion," Narcissa said. "I don't know if he's yet taken the brand they call The Dark Mark, but I'd bet my life that he will. He's getting himself mixed up in something dangerous, and I don't intend to be dragged down with him when this war goes wrong. I'm sorry Father, but I can't marry him."

"Of course you can't," Cygnus agreed, quite horrified with what his daughter was telling him. It was one thing to talk about getting rid of muggleborns in an ideal world, but to actually think it could realistically happen was just ludicrous. To think so was fighting a losing battle, and Cygnus was not going to let his precious daughter by sunk by the foolishness of Horatio Parkinson. "And to think, I thought Horatio was such a perfect match for you. Your sister thought so as well, it was just recently she was talking to me and singing his praises. In fact, it was Bellatrix that convinced me that the engagement could become official before her wedding."

"Of course Bella was singing his praises, she's also mixed up with Voldemort," Narcissa blurted unthinkingly. When her father glared at her, she instantly regretted her careless words and she felt bad for dropping her sister in it.

"She's what?" Cygnus demanded in an icy voice.

"I shouldn't have said anything," Narcissa whispered, wondering if she could talk her way out of what she'd just said.

"I think it's too late for that, Narcissa," Cygnus said coldly. "Is your sister involved with Lord Voldemort and his foolish war?"

"Yes," Narcissa confirmed in a small voice.

"You may leave now, Narcissa, I've got some thinking to do," Cygnus said, dismissing his daughter with a wave of his hand.

"But you will speak to Mr Parkinson and call a halt to the engagement, won't you?" Narcissa checked, wondering if she'd blown things by bringing up Bellatrix and her wayward ways.

"Indeed I will," Cygnus confirmed with a sharp nod of his head "Don't worry, Narcissa, we will find you a suitable husband. Only next time, I will be checking the wizard in question out far more thoroughly," he added, giving his favourite daughter a fleeting smile.

"Thank you Daddy."

Giving her father a peck on the cheek, Narcissa left him to deal with the Parkinsons and Bellatrix while she went off to celebrate the fact she was no longer going to become Mrs Parkinson. Of course she knew that marriage to a wizard she didn't love was still in her future, but at least for now she was once again free. She just hoped she hadn't caused too much trouble for Bellatrix as despite everything she loved her sister and didn't want to cause trouble for her.

* * *

 _ **...**_

* * *

Bellatrix was rarely summoned to her father's study these days, so it came as a bit of a surprise when she received word that her father wished to see her. She had wondered if it was about the upcoming wedding, until she entered the room and found her father sitting behind his desk with a stony expression on his face. If she didn't know any better she would say she was in trouble, but try as she might, she couldn't think of anything she might have done that would have upset her father.

"Sit down Bellatrix," Cygnus snappishly ordered his eldest daughter.

"Have I done something wrong?" Bellatrix asked as she slid into the seat opposite her father's desk.

"You tell me, Bella. Have you?" Cygnus demanded, his dark eyes boring into Bellatrix.

Under her father's cold stare, Bellatrix began to feel like a naughty schoolgirl. Growing up she'd received more lectures and punishments than both her sister's combined, but the last time she'd really angered her father was when she refused to marry Rodolphus Lestrange. And since she was now happily engaged to Lucius, she didn't see what she could possibly have done to anger her father. Of course he might be unhappy if he found out she was also bedding Voldemort, but Bellatrix knew that there was no way her father could possibly know every detail of her colourful sex life.

"If there's a problem, just tell me," Bellatrix demanded. "I'm a grown woman, not some stupid schoolgirl."

"You may not be a schoolgirl, but you're definitely stupid," Cygnus sneered. "Not that I thought I would ever have to say that about you, Bella. You've always been so smart, but clearly something has affected your judgement. Or should I say, someone."

"I don't know what you mean," Bellatrix said defiantly as thoughts of Voldemort ran through her head. He had to be who her father was talking about, but Bellatrix had no idea how he'd found out about their affair.

"Lord Voldemort," Cygnus spat. "Ah, I see you've heard of him," he remarked when his daughter reacted to the name.

"Yes, I've heard of him, and I can explain everything," Bellatrix said.

"Don't," Cygnus interrupted, holding up a hand to stop his daughter mid-sentence. "I don't need or want to hear your excuses."

"How did you find out?" Bellatrix asked, wondering if someone who frequented the bar had seen something they shouldn't have and had gone squealing to her father.

"It came to my attention that Horatio Parkinson was mixed up with Voldemort, and while I was looking into the claims, I discovered you were also mixed up with him," Cygnus said, partly lying to protect Narcissa from her sister's wrath. He knew if Bellatrix ever discovered Narcissa had been the one to drop her in it, albeit accidentally, she would never forgive her and Cygnus did not want his two remaining daughters to fall out. "Obviously I've ended Parkinson's engagement with Narcissa. In time, I'll find your sister a more suitable husband."

"Horatio was the perfect husband for Cissy," Bellatrix argued. "Whatever you've heard, you've clearly gotten it all wrong. The Dark Lord stands for everything we believe in, everything you brought me up to believe in. He wants a world without mudbloods and their traitorous supporters."

"As ideal as that world sounds, it's all pipe dreams, Bella," Cygnus said softly, seeing that his eldest daughter had been well and truly sucked in by Voldemort and wasn't thinking as rationally as she usually did.

"The Dark Lord can make it a reality," Bellatrix said passionately. "We are going to raise an army and drive the mudbloods out of our world."

"And what happens if you succeed?" Cygnus asked with a snort. "What happens when all the muggleborns are gone? What will be the point of this army?"

"There won't be any army as it won't be needed, we'll have won," Bellatrix replied with a smirk.

"And what about Voldemort?" Cygnus questioned. "Is he just going to sit back and relax when he's drove the muggleborns out of the world? I can answer that one for you. No, he won't. Men like him aren't interested in muggleborns or anything like that, all they're interested in is power. If he gains enough supporters to wage a war, he'll become a monster. He won't stop at muggleborns. If he gets rid of them all, which he won't by the way, I'm just talking hypothetically here, what will he turn his attention to next? What else will he decide he doesn't like? We'd be stuck in a world where he's a dictator and people would be too afraid to speak their minds in case they offended him and ended up on his bad side. It might seem like he's offering you the way to a better world, but he's not. All he's offering you is a way to darker world where he's in complete control. You're smarter than that, Bellatrix. Don't fall for his lies. Think about it and you'll see I'm right."

"No, you're just blinded by fear," Bellatrix snarled as she got to her feet, unwilling to listen to her father. "You talk about how mudbloods are inferior and don't deserve to be in our world, but when it comes down to it, you're too scared to back up your words with actions. Well I'm not scared. I will proudly stand at Voldemort's side, and when we achieve our dream, you'll see that it was you that was wrong."

"All I want is for you to be careful, Bella," Cygnus said with a defeated sigh. He knew his stubborn daughter wouldn't listen to a word he was saying, and since she was a grown witch, an almost married one at that, he couldn't exactly force her to see sense. "Our family has been through enough scandal without you adding to it."

"Don't tar me with the same brush as Andromeda," Bellatrix snapped, smirking when her father blanched at the name that was forbidden to even be whispered in the Black residence.

"Yet just like your sister you won't listen," Cygnus said. "I'm warning you Bellatrix, you're going down a slippery path. Not only do I not want any scandal, neither will Abraxas Malfoy. If he thinks you're a loose cannon, he'll cut you off from Lucius so fast your head will be spinning."

"Don't you worry about Lucius, I've got him just where I want him," Bellatrix crowed with a smug smirk. "Abraxas will not stop us getting married, no-one will. We're meant to be together, just like I'm meant to be at The Dark Lord's side as he rids the world of all those horrid mudbloods and their supporters. I'm going to be a very important witch, Father, so if I were you, I would think very carefully about what you say to me."

"Don't you dare threaten me, Bellatrix," Cygnus seethed, raising himself to his feet and glaring icily at his daughter. "You are my daughter, and you will show me some respect. Now get out of my sight before I forget you're a grown woman and I bend you over my knee and give you the thrashing of your life."

Knowing her father wasn't joking, and not wanting to be humiliated, Bellatrix beat a hasty retreat from her father's study. Simmering with anger over the way her father had spoken to her, Bellatrix stormed off to Lucius's penthouse in London. Fortunately Lucius was there and after Bellatrix spent an hour ranting about her father and how he would be proved wrong, she dragged her fiancé off to bed where they indulged in a night of harsh, rough sex.


	16. Chapter 16

As the festive season hit the wizarding world, Lucius was in rather a good frame of mind. Within the last few weeks several things had gone his way, and he was determined to have an enjoyable Christmas, knowing that the next year was going to be one in which he had to make some life changing decisions. But for now, he was taking advantage of how smoothly things were running in his life.

The best thing to have happened recently was Narcissa refusing to get engaged to Horatio. Lucius hadn't been sure what would happen when he'd informed his lover of Horatio's connections to Voldemort, but he'd been thrilled when Narcissa went to her father and shared her concerns with him. Like Abraxas, Cygnus could see the danger of what getting involved with someone like Voldemort could mean to his family and he was only too happy to remove Horatio from Narcissa's life.

As Horatio's friend, Lucius had been forced to listen to the other wizard bemoan his sudden loss of gorgeous fiancée-to-be. Cygnus had been crafty enough not to inform the Parkinsons that it was Narcissa's choice to call off the engagement, or the reason for it. He merely said that after thinking things through, he'd decided that Horatio and Narcissa weren't at all suited. Of course Horatio wasn't at all happy about it, but after some severe moaning he'd accepted things and the last time Lucius had spoken to him, he was vowing to find himself a better future wife than Narcissa Black. Although how he was going to manage that was beyond Lucius as in his opinion there would be no better wife than Narcissa.

While Cygnus had been accepting of Narcissa ending things with Horatio, he'd also turned his attention to Bellatrix and her connection to Voldemort. Lucius knew that Narcissa had outed her sister's involvement with Voldemort by accident while talking with her father, but fortunately Cygnus hadn't let it slip that the information came from his youngest daughter. Which to be fair was a good thing as Bellatrix had been fuming at her father's interference, and Lucius hated to think what she would have done to Narcissa if she knew it was her that had put Cygnus onto what she was up to in her spare time.

Bellatrix had fumed about her father for days, but when she finally calmed down her decision of how to react had led to a peaceful few weeks for Lucius. Instead of challenging her father, Bellatrix decided to take a step back from Voldemort and the dark arts club. Of course it was all a rouse to persuade her father she'd listened to his advice and was thinking things over, but it did mean that Lucius hadn't had to worry about her pressing the issue of him revisiting the club and meeting Voldemort again. As long as Bellatrix was playing the role of the good daughter it gave Lucius some more time to work out how to fully extract her from Voldemort's clutches. Part of him hoped that staying away out of pretence would show her that she didn't need Voldemort in her life, but he wasn't too hopeful on that as on several occasions she'd already reminded him that she was just putting on an act for her father, and once he'd backed down she would be going back to spending as much time as she could at Voldemort's side.

So with Narcissa now a single woman again and the problems with Bellatrix on the back burner, Lucius was ready to celebrate the festive season. Christmas time in pureblood society meant fancy parties a couple of times a week with each host trying to outdo the others. Almost every respected pureblood family threw a party of some sort over Christmas and New Year and the Malfoys were no exception. Only without a lady of the manor at the helm their parties were always different to the other pureblood parties and Abraxas tended to organise a posh dinner party with only the elite of society invited.

Personally, Lucius always found his father's party the most tedious, but fortunately the other parties more than made up for it. A week after his father's dinner party, it was the Notts turn to host a party and Lucius was impressed by the lengths Nigel's parents had gone to for the party. The Notts may not have been quite as prestigious, or as rich, as other families but they were a family on the rise and Lucius had no doubt that by the time Nigel got married and had children of his own, the family name would mean quite a lot in the wizarding world.

For their party the Notts had transformed their large garden into an ice palace, while the downstairs rooms were decorated in white and green with large Christmas trees in every room. Waiters were constantly circling with food and drinks and different music was playing in different parts of the house.

"Impressive," Lucius remarked to Nigel as the pair grabbed a drink off a passing waiter in the dining room and surveyed the party.

"My parents have really gone all out this year," Nigel said.

"They're certainly throwing one of the best parties I've attended," Lucius said.

"Better than the Parkinsons?" Nigel asked in a whisper, checking Horatio wasn't around.

The Parkinsons had held their party a few nights earlier, and there was a bit of a rivalry between the two patriarchs of the families. Nigel's father was determined to outdo the Parkinsons and Horatio's father was determined that the Notts would never be as high up the social scene as they were.

"Most definitely," Lucius replied with a nod. In actual fact the Parkinsons party had been rather stuffy and not at all fun. "There's better food, better drink, a greater social mix and more of the house open for people to use. I would say it was a win for the Notts."

"Let's hope so," Nigel muttered. "Although speaking of Parkinsons, have you seen Horatio this evening?"

"No, not yet," Lucius said. "Should I have?"

"He's brought a date," Nigel informed his friend. "Some distant cousin of the Greengrasses."

"What's she like?"

"Grating," Nigel answered with a laugh. "She's got sleek black hair, a great figure and from a distance she looks like a stunner."

"But up close?"

"She's got an upturned nose like a pug," Nigel confided.

"But does Horatio like her?" Lucius asked.

"He seems to. But then again, it's obvious she's already fallen into his bed."

"There's nothing wrong with a bit of sex before marriage," Lucius remarked.

"I guess not, but Horatio's known her two minutes," Nigel argued. "A few weeks ago he was thinking he was going to get engaged to Narcissa Black."

"Is she here?" Lucius asked, trying to sound casual. He hadn't seen his lover, but he had seen her parents and of course Bellatrix would around somewhere.

"Yes, looking stunning as always," Nigel answered with a grin. "Hey, do you think I might stand a chance with her now Horatio is out of the picture?"

"I really don't know Nigel," Lucius answered, bristling at the thought of yet another of his friends trying to lay claim to Narcissa.

Sensing that Nigel was about to start waxing lyrical about Narcissa, Lucius pretended to see someone he needed to discuss a bit of business with and he left his friend in the dining room. Free to roam the party, he did so until he finally located Narcissa in the living room. When he spotted her she was laughing merrily with a friend and Lucius could do nothing but stare at how beautiful she was.

Her long blonde hair was pinned up elegantly on top of her head, and she was wearing a long, strapless shimmering ice blue dress. Jewellery wise she was wearing a tear-drop crystal choker and a matching pair of earrings. There was no sign of the bracelet he'd given her, but he knew she only wore that when they were together.

Not wanting to approach Narcissa while she was with friends, Lucius waited until she'd broken away to grab a drink before sliding up to her. Being careful not to seem too attentive, or too captivated by the expanse of perfect creamy skin on display above her dress, Lucius greeted his lover and handed her a drink.

"You look dazzling, Narcissa."

"Thank you," Narcissa replied with a smile. "And you look very dashing, Lucius. My sister is a lucky woman."

"Don't," Lucius pleaded quietly. The only downside to Bellatrix not spending as much time with Voldemort, was that she was free more often and had taken to spending more time at his penthouse in London, which in turn meant he hadn't had quite as much time for Narcissa as he would have liked.

"Sorry," Narcissa apologised. She knew it wasn't Lucius's fault that he had to spend time with Bellatrix, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Do you think you can slip away?" Lucius asked.

"Where to?" Narcissa asked. It was risky sneaking off together at a party where their friends and family were present, but the pull they felt for one another was worth taking a little risk for.

"There's a study on the next floor," Lucius whispered. "It belongs to Nigel's father. Meet me there in ten minutes. I'll leave the door open a crack so you know which room I'm in."

"If I can get away without being seen," Narcissa replied.

"There's a back staircase in the corridor behind the dining room. Use that and no-one will see you."

Hoping that Narcissa was able to follow his advice and sneak away, Lucius gave her a quick grin, before sloping away himself. He had no trouble sneaking up the back staircase and into Mr Nott's study, where all he could do was sit back and wait and see if Narcissa joined him. As time ticked on he began to think that she hadn't been able to get away, but finally he heard soft footsteps heading his way and Narcissa gingerly poked her head into the room.

"Lucius," she whispered.

"I'm here," Lucius called quietly. With part of the party going on in the gardens below he couldn't risk putting on any lights, but the desk where he was sitting was illuminated with moonlight from the window and he was clearly visible when Narcissa entered the room properly and carefully shut the door behind her.

"This is awfully dangerous, Lucius," Narcissa murmured as she walked over to the desk where he was sitting quite casually.

"I think you mean exciting," Lucius corrected. "You can't say this doesn't give you a thrill, meeting up like this at a party."

"Maybe part of me is a little excited," Narcissa conceded as she leaned back against the desk in front of Lucius.

"I can make all of you excited," Lucius vowed, rising from his chair and staring down at Narcissa.

"That sounds like a promise," Narcissa whispered, desire flooding her body as Lucius continued to gaze at her with his soulful grey eyes.

"It is," Lucius confirmed as he swept down and connected their lips in a searing kiss.

Narcissa hungrily kissed Lucius back and she had no objections when his hands began to wander down her body. Pulling her long skirt up, Lucius's eager hands dove under the silky material and crept up her smooth legs. Reaching the apex of her thighs, he teasingly ran his fingers over the lacy material of her knickers.

"We don't have time for teasing," Narcissa hissed at her lover, wishing she hadn't bothered with the skimpy knickers she was wearing. If she'd known what Lucius was going to suggest, she certainly wouldn't have bothered with underwear.

"There's always time for teasing," Lucius replied with a smirk, trailing kisses down Narcissa's long, elegant neck.

"Two can play at that game then," Narcissa retorted, pulling Lucius's hand from under her dress and pushing him back down in the chair he'd just rose from.

"What are you doing Narcissa?" Lucius asked as Narcissa's hands disappeared under her long dress.

Instead of replying straight away, Narcissa gave a teasing laugh as she stepped out of her lacy white knickers and threw them at Lucius. "Merry Christmas, Lucius."

"I'd rather have what was inside the kickers," Lucius remarked, although he made sure to slip the scrap of material into his pocket.

"That can be arranged," Narcissa purred, leaning back against the desk and beckoning Lucius with a crooked finger. "I'm all yours."

Not needing a second invitation, Lucius pounced. Pulling down his trousers, he hiked Narcissa's dress to her waist as he pinned her to the desk. Knowing they didn't have much time, Narcissa wrapped her legs around Lucius's waist and pulled him close as their lips sought each other out.

"I need to see you over Christmas," Lucius panted.

"Now is not the time, Lucius," Narcissa gasped, not able to focus on much more than the feeling of Lucius buried deep inside her.

"It is," Lucius retorted, searching out Narcissa's lips again. "Please come and see me over Christmas."

"I'll not be able to get away," Narcissa argued in between heated kisses.

"Please, for me," Lucius begged.

"For you," Narcissa agreed breathlessly, even though she didn't have a clue as to how she was going to manage it.

Although Narcissa didn't have to worry about making time to see Lucius over Christmas there and then as their passion took back over and soon the only sounds in the room was the frenzied moans and groans of their lovemaking. Reaching their climax together, Lucius held onto Narcissa as they slowly began to recover from their exertions.

"I suppose we've got a party to get back to," Lucius eventually remarked, reluctant to leave Narcissa's embrace.

"I suppose so," Narcissa agreed.

"And it's agreed, you're coming to see me over Christmas so I can give you my present," Lucius said as they began to straighten their clothes and use magic to make themselves look presentable again.

"I'll try," Narcissa replied.

"You promised, Narcissa," Lucius pouted.

"I know, and I will do my very best," Narcissa promised, giving her lover a peck on the cheek. "Maybe I could sneak over on Christmas Eve, either in the afternoon or early evening."

"Sounds good to me," Lucius replied with a grin.

Looking forward to Christmas Eve, Lucius gave Narcissa a final kiss and let her leave first, before making his own way back to the party. Fortunately no-one had missed either of them and they were able to re-join the festivities with no-one any the wiser as to their illicit activities.


	17. Chapter 17

The New Year brought a fresh sense of urgency to Lucius and Narcissa's affair, and they were both acutely aware of the limited time they had together. Even though they'd both been aware of how little time they would have together when they started their fling, the start of the year really seemed to press home the issue that their time together was numbered. With each passing day they were moving closer to Lucius's wedding and the time when he really would be off limits to Narcissa.

Eager to spend as much time as he could with his lover, Lucius started to make Narcissa his priority. He informed Bellatrix that he was busy at work, therefore couldn't spend as many nights at the penthouse in London. Bellatrix took the news in her stride, although Lucius suspected it was because his absence allowed her to slip back into her old routine of spending every spare minute with Voldemort. No doubt her father thought she was with him, while all the time she was fraternising with the dark wizard. Not that Lucius cared at the moment as all he could think about was spending as much time as possible with Narcissa.

Lucius urged Narcissa to visit him as often as she could on an evening, and he'd even started to take afternoons off work to spend with his lover. Thanks to the freedom his father gave him, and the trust he had in him, it was easy for Lucius to pretend to be out of the office on business while he was really ensconced in his wing of the manor with Narcissa. He knew that he would have to show something for all the time he was spending away from the office, meaning that when he was working he was working twice as hard, but it was worth it to spend as much time with Narcissa.

By the end of January the couple had fallen into a routine and there were only a few days a week when they didn't see each other at all. Currently they were indulging in one of the afternoon meetings, and after Lucius had left the office he'd hurried home to meet Narcissa. The second she'd arrived via the floo that deposited her in his private living room, Lucius had dragged her off to bed. They'd now been in bed for a couple of hours, but they still couldn't get enough of each other and Narcissa was currently sitting astride Lucius, her long blond hair falling over her shoulders and obscuring her bare breasts.

"I love your hair," Lucius murmured as he swept the golden cascade over Narcissa's shoulder and away from her breasts. "And I love your breasts."

"I never would have noticed," Narcissa laughed as Lucius's strong fingers tweaked her nipples.

"And I also love your lips," Lucius said, sitting up and wrapping his arms around Narcissa as he moved his lips inches away from hers. "They're so soft," he whispered, so close to his lover that his lips brushed against hers as he spoke.

"Stop talking Lucius," Narcissa ordered, twisting her fingers through Lucius's hair and turning his teasing kiss into a deeper one.

"As you wish," Lucius replied against her mouth as he slipped his tongue into Narcissa's warm mouth and ended the conversation.

For the next half hour conversation was the last thing on either Lucius or Narcissa's mind as they made love yet again. Collapsing in a satisfied heap once they'd finished, Narcissa rested her head against Lucius's chest, listening as his heartbeat slowly returned to its normal rhythm, while he gently ran his fingers through the long hair he was so keen on. As he did so, he debated telling Narcissa that he was in love with her, but since he'd yet to make any firm decisions about his future, he refrained from doing so. Instead he just enjoyed the peace and satisfaction he got from being with the witch he loved.

"I wish we could stay like this forever," Narcissa remarked with a contented sigh.

"What, naked?" Lucius joked.

"That wouldn't be too bad," Narcissa replied with a smile as she raised her head to look at her lover. "I could live with you being naked all the time."

"And I could definitely live with you being naked all the time," Lucius said, caressing her pert backside. "Not that I'm sure I would get much done. You'd be a major distraction."

"I could be an even bigger one if I tried," Narcissa retorted cheekily as she sat up and stretched in such a way that Lucius's eyes were drawn to her breasts. "See," she laughed, knowing exactly where her lover's attention was situated.

"You're a bad girl, Miss Black," Lucius growled, pouncing on Narcissa and pinning her to the bed.

"You like it," Narcissa replied with a cheeky smile.

"I do," Lucius agreed. "I wouldn't have you any other way."

Despite their desire for one another, even Lucius couldn't manage another round of sex, so they settled for a searing kiss before resuming their earlier position wrapped in each other's arms, just enjoying being together. However, as with all their moment's together reality intruded when Lucius's wand began to emit a low buzzing sound.

"What's that?" Narcissa asked with a frown. It sounded like the sort of alarm someone would put on their wand to wake them in a morning.

"My alarm," Lucius replied, looking equally as puzzled as Narcissa. "But why did I set it?"

"You don't know what you've set your alarm for?" Narcissa questioned with a chuckle. It certainly wasn't like Lucius to forget something like why he'd set an alarm in the first place, so she could only think he'd been distracted at the time.

"I can't remember," Lucius confessed, picking up his wand and stopping the alarm. "Now let's think. It's Friday, and it's half two," he mused, checking the time and date and wondering where he should be.

"I don't believe it," Narcissa gasped. "It's the fitting for your wedding robes this afternoon," she informed her lover. "You're due at the robe shop in fifteen minutes."

"Shit," Lucius exclaimed as he jumped out of bed. "I totally forgot. How did you know?"

"Because I promised my mother I would remind you," Narcissa replied as she also jumped out of bed and began searching for her clothes, which had been torn off in passion upon her arrival a few hours earlier. "And if you're late, we're both going to be in big trouble."

"Don't worry, I won't be late," Lucius vowed as he hastily pulled some clothes on. Using magic he was able to make himself look presentable, and he was sure that no-one would ever know he'd just spent the afternoon in bed with his future sister-in-law.

"You better not be," Narcissa warned as she got dressed as quickly as she could.

Once they were dressed, Lucius glanced at the bed but decided against taking the time to make it. One of the elves would likely turn up to make the bed while he was out, but even if they didn't, it wasn't as if anyone was going to see the mess the bed was in. Forgetting about the state of the bed, Lucius ushered Narcissa out of the bedroom and through the floo network as he hurried off to his appointment. However, what neither of them noticed in their hurry to leave was the bracelet Lucius had given to Narcissa at the beginning of their relationship nestled among the rumpled sheets caused by their lovemaking.

* * *

 _ **...**_

* * *

Bellatrix sat opposite her mother, bored stiff as Druella gushed about the upcoming wedding. It wasn't that Bellatrix wasn't looking forward to marrying Lucius, it was just that the details of the actual wedding itself were proving tedious to her. She couldn't care less what the actual wedding was like, what she really cared about was becoming Mrs Malfoy, and the power that would give her in the wizarding world. And the power it would give her over Lucius, who would have no choice but to do her bidding once they were married.

Despite her boredom, Bellatrix still kept up a good act for her mother and she knew Druella had no idea that she wasn't at all interested in what she was saying. All afternoon she played the good daughter and feigned interest in her mother's ramblings. It was only once Druella mentioned Malfoy Manor, and referred to Bellatrix as the lady of the manor, that she really began to pay attention.

"Of course you'll have to give the place an entire makeover," Druella said to her eldest daughter. "Abraxas is a lovely man, but the décor in the manor leaves a lot to be desired. What the place really needs is a woman's touch."

"It would be nice to put my own stamp on the place," Bellatrix mused, even though she was certain that Abraxas wouldn't let her change the body of the manor right away.

She suspected she would have to prove herself as a Malfoy before he allowed her free reign of the house. However, that didn't mean she couldn't show him what she was capable of by redoing Lucius's wing of the manor. She could transform the wing she and Lucius would be living in, and in time she could then revamp the entire manor and turn it into a place she could call home.

When her mother left her to go and oversee Lucius's fitting for his wedding robes, Bellatrix was still thinking about the manor and the changes she could make. Knowing that with Lucius busy, it would be a perfect time to go and have a good look around his wing without him interfering, Bellatrix headed to Malfoy Manor. As Lucius's fiancée, she arrived in his private quarters and when an elf appeared and informed her the house was empty, she sent the creature on its way, insisting that Lucius knew she was here and knew exactly what she was doing.

Bellatrix slowly made her way through every room in Lucius's wing of the manor, making mental notes of the things she wished to change. By the time she reached Lucius's bedroom she had a lot of things she wanted to talk to her fiancé about changing in his living quarters. Already knowing what sort of changes she would apply to the bedroom, even though she'd only ever visited the room occasionally and had never spent the night in the room, Bellatrix stopped in surprise when she saw the messy bed. She knew from the penthouse in London that Lucius was a bit of neat freak and that to leave his bed unmade he had to have left in a hurry.

"Maybe he slept in," she muttered to herself with a shrug, recalling the extra work her fiancé had been doing since the beginning of the year.

Ignoring the mystery of the messy bed, Bellatrix poked around the rest of the room as she continued her mental list of changes to be made. However, as she turned back towards the bed a glint of silver caught her eye amongst the black silk sheets. Plucking the item from the bed, she gasped when she found herself holding a delicate silver and aquamarine bracelet in her fingers. Taking a second look at the messy bed, Bellatrix hissed angrily when she realised she wasn't looking at an unmade bed Lucius had rolled out of that morning, she was looking at a bed he'd left after being with another witch.

"Bastard," Bellatrix snarled, her hand closing over the bracelet and squeezing the piece of jewellery as though she had her hands around the throat of the witch it belonged to.

Even though she herself was sleeping with another man in the form of Voldemort, the thought of Lucius doing the same thing, made her blood boil. Her relationship with Voldemort was all about advancing her position with him. She didn't love Voldemort, and he was certainly no match for Lucius when it came to sex, but she did still enjoy the illicit nature of their relationship. Even so, she'd been convinced that she kept Lucius sexually satisfied. He couldn't possibly have any complaints about their sex life, and it bruised her ego to think of him in the arms of another witch.

In a flurry of anger, Bellatrix stormed out of the bedroom and headed towards the floo. Her plan was to go and confront Lucius and shame him in public for daring to cheat on her. However, as she grabbed the floo powder in her hand her common sense kicked in and she froze before she could do something rash. The easy thing would be to confront Lucius and demand to know why he was cheating on her, and who with. However, that could very well lead to him calling off the engagement and that was the last thing Bellatrix wanted.

Taking a deep breath she composed herself and rethought her actions. As much as she wanted to lash out at Lucius, she was realising that she had to play a different game with her fiancé. She was going to have to use all of her Slytherin cunning to make sure he paid for cheating on her without disrupting their upcoming nuptials.

"You have no idea who you're messing with Lucius," Bellatrix whispered to herself as she gazed down at the delicate bracelet she'd found in her fiancé's bed.

She would find a way to get back at him for his betrayal, and as for the witch he was sleeping with, Bellatrix intended to make sure that no wizard ever looked at her again. There was a saying that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Bellatrix was about to prove that the saying was completely accurate. She was not to be messed with, and woe betide Lucius and his lover once she decided to enact her revenge on the pair of them.


	18. Chapter 18

Following her discovery that Lucius was cheating on her, Bellatrix silently fumed as she worked out the best way to get her revenge. As tempted as she was to let Lucius know she was aware of his infidelity when he was around, she kept quiet and acted as though nothing was wrong. She calmly accepted his excuses not to see her, even though she didn't for one minute think he was working, and when they were together she was as attentive as possible. When they were together she tried to decide if Lucius was treating her any differently, but everything seemed normal. Even their sex life was still good, and every time they were together Bellatrix wondered how he could possibly be unsatisfied enough to have a mistress.

With Lucius so busy, Bellatrix had returned to visiting the dark arts club in Knockturn Alley on a regular basis. A couple of weeks after her discovery, Bellatrix was at the club and as usual she spent most of the evening in Voldemort's private room. Also as usual she was the last person in the room, and once they were alone, Voldemort offered her a drink.

"Still no Lucius, I see," he remarked as he handed her a glass of expensive firewhisky. "I thought you were bringing him around to our way of thinking."

"He's proving rather stubborn," Bellatrix admitted. Before her father had interfered she'd been confident she was talking Lucius around, but given what she'd just discovered about him she suspected her fiancé had merely been playing along to keep her sweet.

"And can you overcome his stubbornness?" Voldemort asked. "I've expressed how useful he can be. I know his friend Parkinson has been around lately, but he doesn't have the same influence as Lucius."

"I'll bring Lucius around," Bellatrix promised, thinking of the bracelet she'd found in her fiancé's bed and how she was going to use to in order to bring him to Voldemort's side. Of course she was still going to make him pay for cheating on her, but in a strange sort of way his infidelity was going to be the key to bringing him into line and forcing him to comply with her wishes.

"Are you sure you can manage it?" Voldemort questioned.

"I'm sure," Bellatrix replied with a determined nod. "I'm not sure it'll be before our wedding, but once we're married I can promise you that he'll be yours to command."

"Ours," Voldemort corrected, smirking at his lover. "He'll be ours to command, Bella."

"I like the sound of that," Bellatrix laughed, looking forward to the day that the stubborn and proud Lucius Malfoy was completely and utterly under her thumb.

With the subject of Lucius settled for the moment, Bellatrix enjoyed a couple more drinks with The Dark Lord, before saying goodnight and heading home. At home she had a restless night's sleep, unable to get the image of Lucius with another witch out of her head.

By morning she knew that she needed to find the identity of the witch her fiancé was sleeping with behind her back. The bracelet was the obvious way of finding Lucius's lover, but Bellatrix had no idea where to start looking. Jewellery really wasn't her thing, and while the bracelet now in her possession looked expensive she had no idea if it was, or how she could trace where it was bought.

"Narcissa," she suddenly declared as inspiration hit her. Jewellery might not have been her forte, but she knew her younger sister loved fashion and jewellery and if anyone could trace the bracelet it would be her.

Once she was dressed, Bellatrix took the bracelet and headed for her sister's room. Finding the room empty she was initially disappointed, until she heard the shower running in Narcissa's adjoining bathroom and realised that she hadn't missed her sister after all. Settling down to wait for Narcissa to finish in the bathroom, Bellatrix plonked herself on her sister's bed and examined the bracelet in her hands, wishing she knew who it belonged to.

Bellatrix was waiting for nearly twenty minutes before the bathroom door opened and Narcissa entered the room wrapped in a silk dressing gown. At the sight of Bellatrix sitting on her bed, Narcissa immediately had to fight against the guilt she always felt in her sister's presence. She felt even more guilty when she spotted Bellatrix had her bracelet in her hands, although she comforted herself with the knowledge that there was no way Bellatrix could know that Lucius had given her the bracelet. In fact Narcissa had spent the last week looking for the bracelet, and since Bellatrix had it in her hands it looked like her sister had found it without even having to look. It was just typical really as it wasn't the first time Narcissa had sworn she'd lost something, only for someone else to look in her room for it and find it immediately.

"Morning Bella," Narcissa greeted, smiling at her sister.

"Cissy," Bellatrix returned, wondering how to broach the subject of the bracelet without revealing that Lucius was cheating on her.

"Thank you for finding my bracelet," Narcissa said, quickly scooping the delicate item from her sister's fingers and locking it away in her drawer. "I've been looking for it for days, but you know what I'm like."

"Yes, I do," Bellatrix whispered as her blood ran cold as she watched her sister innocently claim the bracelet and tuck it away in her drawer. "Always missing what's right under your nose."

"I bet I've looked right at it dozens of times and hadn't even seen it," Narcissa continued with a small laugh. "So what can I do for you Bella? Are you okay, you look a bit peaky?"

"I'm not feeling very well," Bellatrix replied honestly. She felt as sick as a dog and she needed to get away from her sister before she lost her temper and smashed Narcissa's pretty face into the mirror she was standing beside.

Muttering a promise to catch up with her sister when she felt better, Bellatrix bolted from Narcissa's room and ran back to her own room. Silencing the room, Bellatrix let out a blood-curdling scream as the weight of what she'd just discovered settled over her. Not only was Lucius cheating on her, but he was doing so with her own sister. She couldn't believe the betrayal, and slumping down onto the floor she did something she rarely did – she cried.

* * *

 _ **...**_

* * *

Despite the fact he'd just spent the last few hours exerting himself with Narcissa, Lucius couldn't sleep. Lying awake in his bed his mind kept running over his situation and how to fix it. Lucius knew the time had come to make a decision, although if he was being honest he knew he should have made the decision about his future long ago. It was time to get serious and decide what he really wanted from life.

Easing himself out from under Narcissa, who had promptly fallen asleep after their lovemaking, Lucius slipped into a pair of dark green pyjama bottoms. He then quietly made his way to the large sliding glass door that led to the balcony outside of his bedroom, and slipped outside. Despite the fact it was early February and still chilly, Lucius didn't feel the cold as he sat down on one of the chairs on the balcony and stared out at the night sky as he settled down to think.

The last thing Lucius wanted to do was let his father down, but he honestly didn't think he could marry Bellatrix. His relationship with Narcissa had proven that he didn't love Bellatrix and certainly wouldn't make a faithful husband to her. And the last thing Lucius wanted was to marry a witch he knew he would spend his life cheating on. Not only did he deserve better, but so did Bellatrix. Lucius may not have loved his fiancé, but he did care for her and he wanted her to have a husband who truly appreciated what a great catch she was.

Lucius knew breaking of his engagement would cause all sorts of problems, and could possibly lead to an estrangement from his father, but he now knew it was something he had to do. Hopefully Abraxas would understand and not cut him off, but if he didn't and he was cast adrift, Lucius knew he could survive. The money in his personal bank account was nothing compared to the millions he had at his disposal with access to the family vault, but it would be enough for him to find somewhere modest to live and start a new business that would earn him a living. Of course it would mean giving up the life of luxury he'd led up until this point in his life, but to Lucius it was a small price to pay for his happiness.

Although Lucius knew his true happiness depended on Narcissa. He was madly in love with her and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but whether she was prepared to take a risk on him, he didn't know. Even if Abraxas didn't disown him, Narcissa's family would definitely disown her for stealing her sister's fiancé, and he didn't know if he could ask her to give up his family for him. Of course they could go down the sneakier route and pretend to get to together at a later date, but that would only work if Narcissa's parents didn't end up arranging a new marriage for her.

"Sod it," Lucius muttered to himself, seeing no way to be with Narcissa without her family disowning her.

Lost in his thoughts, Lucius failed to hear the door slide open and Narcissa emerge onto the balcony. It was only when she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled the side of his neck that he realised he wasn't alone.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked. "You'll catch a cold sitting in this chill."

"You're hardly wrapped up yourself," Lucius replied with a chuckle as he pulled Narcissa to sit on his knee and found she had just pulled on the deep blue shirt he'd been wearing earlier.

"What are you doing Lucius?" Narcissa repeated.

"Thinking," Lucius answered with a deep sigh.

"Anything I can help you with?"

"I'm not going to marry Bella," Lucius announced.

"You're what?" Narcissa gasped, getting off Lucius's lap and gazing at her lover in amazement.

"I can't do it, Narcissa," Lucius said passionately as he got to his feet and headed back into the warmth of his bedroom. "I don't love her."

"Purebloods marriages are rarely about love," Narcissa remarked as she followed Lucius into his room and closed the door to the balcony behind her.

"I know, but I just can't do it," Lucius insisted.

"Does this have anything to do with me?" Narcissa asked, unsure of what she wanted the answer to be.

"Yes," Lucius answered honestly as he sat down on the bottom of the bed. "I love you, Narcissa."

"This isn't good," Narcissa whispered as she sat down next to her lover.

"You don't love me?" Lucius asked, tilting her head so she was looking up at him.

"I do," she replied in a whisper. "More than anything."

"At least that's something," Lucius said with a slight smile. "I can die happy knowing you love me."

"Don't say things like that, Lucius," Narcissa scolded, frowning at the mere thought of something happening to the wizard she loved. "This wasn't supposed to happen," she added quietly. "It was supposed to just be sex. We weren't supposed to fall for each other."

"We fell before we had sex," Lucius pointed out. "I think I loved you from the moment I met you."

"This is all so messed up," Narcissa sighed. "What's changed? If you've always loved me, why break off the engagement now?"

"Honestly, it's something I've always been considering," Lucius confessed. "I promised myself that I would spend some time with you and see if I truly loved you before making a decision on Bellatrix. If I was braver, I would have just ended things then."

"And what if I say we can't be together?" Narcissa asked, forcing the words from her lips as all she really wanted to do was throw her arms around Lucius and promise to spend the rest of her life with him.

"Then I'll respect your decision, but I still won't marry your sister," Lucius replied, his heart breaking slightly at what he was taking as rejection from the witch he loved. Not that he could totally blame her for not wanting to be with him as it meant giving up everything.

"But your father might still disown you," Narcissa pointed out.

"I know," Lucius replied with a nod. "I understand the consequences, but I cannot and will not marry your sister."

"And what about us?" Narcissa asked.

"I thought you just said we couldn't be together," Lucius said with a frown.

"I just wanted to know what you would do if I said that," Narcissa said. "I wanted to be sure you weren't just doing this to be with me."

"I want to be with you more than anything in the world, but I understand it might not be possible," Lucius said. "Even if we delay getting together and pretend it happened after the cancellation of my engagement it will still cause problems."

"And that's hoping that my parents don't look for another husband for me in the meantime," Narcissa added. "Delaying things could prove tricky."

"But admitting the truth could be worse," Lucius cautioned. "We'd be outed as cheats, your family will disown you, and my father might do the same. We'd be all alone."

"But we'd have each other," Narcissa whispered, taking Lucius's hand in hers and bringing it to her lips. "I love you Lucius, and I want to be with you."

"Even if it costs you your family?" Lucius checked. He was euphoric at the thought of being with Narcissa forever, but it was a massive decision for her and he wanted her to be sure she was doing the right thing.

"We can build our own family," Narcissa replied with a small smile. It broke her heart to think of never seeing her family again, but she knew it would be far more painful to give up Lucius and wave goodbye to their love.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Narcissa?" Lucius asked. "I'm going to speak to father and cancel the engagement as soon as possible, but I don't want to rush you into anything."

"Let's do this," Narcissa said with determination. "We deserve better than sneaking around, and more importantly, Bella deserves better. Let's end this before things get out of hand and we hurt people more than we already have. Let's grab our happy ending Lucius."

"I love you," Lucius declared with a grin as he swept Narcissa into his arms and fell back on the bed with her.

"I love you too," Narcissa returned as the couple crawled back into bed and made love, unaware that all hell was about to break loose and Bellatrix was not going to give up her man without a fight.


	19. Chapter 19

After his talk with Narcissa, Lucius spent a couple of days making sure he had everything in place in case his father disowned him before he approached his father. Lucius chose a Sunday afternoon to speak to Abraxas about his decision to call off his engagement to Bellatrix, and he found his father reading in the living room beside a roaring fire. When Lucius asked to speak to his father, Abraxas set aside his book and gave his only son his full attention.

"Now why do I get the impression I'm not going to like this?" Abraxas muttered, noting how nervous his son looked. As a Malfoy, Lucius was a master of keeping his emotions in check, but it was clear for Abraxas to see that his son was anxious about something.

"You're not," Lucius confessed. "But I want you to know my decision is final."

"What decision?" Abraxas asked warily. The only thing he could think of was that his son wanted to leave the family business, but that made no sense as he knew Lucius had big plans for the business and would one day have a business empire a lot larger than the one they currently had.

"I'm not going to marry Bellatrix," Lucius announced, deciding not to beat around the bush and get straight to the point.

"You're what?" Abraxas questioned in a cold voice as he glared at his son.

"I can't marry her, I don't love her," Lucius answered.

"Love? What's love got to do with anything?" Abraxas snorted as he rose to his feet and walking over to the cupboard in the corner of the room poured himself a generous glass of firewhisky. "This isn't about love, Lucius, it's about duty. You have a duty to the family to carry on our line. You need a son and heir."

"I know, and one day I will have a wife and son, but the wife won't be Bellatrix," Lucius replied calmly.

"Why?" Abraxas demanded. "Why the fuss about love? You were perfectly happy with the arrangement when it was made."

"You of all people should understand my desire for love. You loved mother."

"I did," Abraxas conceded, his grey eyes misting over slightly as he thought about the witch he'd married. "But not when I married her. It was an arranged marriage, and love blossomed between us after our union. I'm sure the same will happen with Bellatrix."

"No, it won't," Lucius replied vehemently. "I do not love Bellatrix, and I never will."

Abraxas studied his son, taking in how passionate he seemed, and understanding suddenly dawned on him. Lucius wasn't rejecting Bellatrix because he didn't love her, he was rejecting her because he loved someone else. He already had love in his life, and he didn't want to lose that by marrying Bellatrix.

"Who is she?" he demanded in a sharp voice.

"Who's who?" Lucius questioned, playing dumb.

"Don't mess with me, Lucius," Abraxas growled. "Who is the witch you're willing to give everything up for? And don't say there is no-one because I can see it in your eyes."

"There is someone," Lucius conceded. "But it doesn't matter who she is. The important thing is that I love her, and I won't be marrying Bellatrix."

"And you really think it's that easy?" Abraxas questioned with a cold chuckle. "You really think I'm going to let you throw away our families legacy for some cheap tart?"

"She is not a cheap tart," Lucius protested, his hands balling into angry fists at his side. "She's a beautiful pureblood lady. I will be with her whether you approve or not."

"So now you're happy to go it alone, are you?" Abraxas demanded. "You're happy to give up everything for this witch? Your family, your inheritance?"

"If that's what it takes to be with her," Lucius said with a determined nod of his head. "I love her father. I don't want this to be the end for us, but I will not forsake her."

"You can't possibly expect me to give my approval when you haven't told me who this witch is," Abraxas argued. "If I support you in this, I could find myself with a powerful enemy in the form of Cygnus Black. To break your engagement with Bellatrix will be no easy matter."

"But you would support me?" Lucius asked, still not sure where his father stood with what he was telling him.

"You're my son Lucius, even if right at this moment I would like nothing better than to strangle you," Abraxas said with a sigh. "So yes, I'd support you. But I need to know who she is. I need to know the identity of the witch you're willing to sacrifice everything for."

Lucius was silent as he contemplated the offer his father had made. It was clear Abraxas wouldn't support him without knowing who Lucius was involved with, but on the other hand once he discovered it was Narcissa, he might refuse to support him anyway. He had to quickly decide whether to try and get his father onside, or go it alone. Not that there was much choice as Lucius knew he would never forgive himself unless he did everything in his power to keep his relationship with his father alive, even if it meant disclosing his deepest secret.

"Narcissa," he finally whispered.

"I'm sorry, we seem to have gotten off point," Abraxas said with a frown. "I wanted to know the identity of the witch you've been seeing."

"Narcissa," Lucius repeated. "I'm in love with Narcissa Black."

Abraxas was stunned into silence for a moment, but when he recovered he hurled the crystal tumbler he was holding towards his son's head. The glass missed Lucius by inches and shattered off the wall behind him, while dregs of amber firewhisky splattered around the room.

"For Merlin's sake, Lucius, just how stupid are you?" Abraxas yelled, bristling with anger at his son. "Of all the witches, you had to go and jump into bed with the sister of your fiancée. Do you have no brains?"

"It was never planned," Lucius defended. "There was just a connection when we met. We never meant to fall in love."

"And I suppose you never meant to sleep with her either," Abraxas snorted.

"No, that I meant to do," Lucius admitted. "I was hoping it was something I could get out of my system before I got married. A final fling."

"And you're sure it's not?" Abraxas questioned, eager to jump on any glimmer of hope that his son could be dissuaded from the course of action he seemed set upon. "Nerves before marriage is quite common. No-one would blame you if you were just nervous, Lucius, and you had turned one last fling into something meaningful in your head."

"It's not in my head," Lucius said quietly. "I love her. I want to be with Narcissa."

"And does she feel the same?" Abraxas asked as he slumped down in his chair, his anger subsiding as he tried to think of the best way to move forward.

"She does," Lucius confirmed.

"And she's willing to give up everything for you?" Abraxas checked. "Because that is what you're asking of her. Her family will disown her in a heartbeat. She'll lose her sister, her parents and her inheritance. Do you really want that for her?"

"Of course I don't," Lucius insisted. "But what other options do we have? We love each other, and we're going to be together no matter what anyone says. If you can't support me then I'll leave."

When Abraxas said no more, Lucius turned on his heel and keeping his head held high he stalked towards the door. He'd actually made it out of the living room and was nearly at the foot of the stairs before his father called him back. Lucius allowed himself a brief sigh of relief before retracing his footsteps and returning to where his father was still sitting in his chair in front of the fire.

"Sit down boy and stop with the dramatics," Abraxas ordered.

"I wasn't being dramatic," Lucius said with a pout as he sat himself down on the large sofa in the room. "I was really ready to walk away from everything."

"I know you were," Abraxas said quietly. "And I know if I let you, I would never be able to live with myself. Don't get me wrong Lucius, right now I'm deeply ashamed of you, but you're still my son."

"So you'll support me?" Lucius asked, holding his breath for his father's reply.

"On my terms," Abraxas answered with a nod. "I will help you break the engagement to Bellatrix. We can use her association with Voldemort as our reason. I take it she's still involved with him, or did you manage to bring her into line?"

"No, she's still seeing him," Lucius confessed. "She was trying to work on getting me to join them."

"You're going to have to deal with Bellatrix yourself, I won't help you there," Abraxas warned his son. "But I will help to deal with Cygnus."

"And Narcissa?"

"She's to be kept out of things," Abraxas declared. "We use the dark arts connection as our excuse to break the engagement. I don't want anyone discovering that you've been sleeping with your fiancée's sister. That will destroy your reputation and that of the Malfoys. No-one must ever know this thing with Narcissa began when you were engaged to her sister."

"But we want to be together," Lucius argued.

"And you can be, in time," Abraxas replied. "You break your engagement with Bellatrix, and when a suitable period had elapsed you can begin to court Narcissa. I want no scandal attached to the Malfoy name, Lucius."

"And what if Narcissa's father tries to marry her to another man in the meantime?"

"It's just a risk you're going to have to take," Abraxas answered with an unconcerned shrug. "Those are my conditions, Lucius. Either you do this my way, or you leave now and deal with the Blacks yourself. If Narcissa loves you the way you claim she does, she'll find a way to stop any potential marriage. I assume that's why things ended between her and young Parkinson."

"Yes," Lucius answered with a nod. After they'd made the decision to be together, Narcissa had confessed that she'd used the information he'd given her about Horatio to end their engagement as she couldn't bear the thought of marrying anyone else.

"Does this mean you're staying?" Abraxas asked.

"Yes," Lucius answered. He hated that fact he wouldn't be able to be with Narcissa straight away, but he knew it was worth the wait if not only did he get the witch he loved, but he got to keep his father.

"In that case we've got an engagement to break," Abraxas announced as he rose to his feet. "Let's get this over with, and remember, I don't want any scandal."

Lucius nodded his agreement as he promised to deal with Bellatrix swiftly and efficiently. The last thing he wanted was a scandal, as he wanted to be with Narcissa as soon as possible and the cleaner his break-up with Bellatrix, the sooner he could move on and live happily ever after with her sister.

* * *

 _ **...**_

* * *

Bellatrix knew there was something wrong the second she entered Lucius's penthouse. Not only was Lucius present in the middle a Monday afternoon, but he was standing staring out of the window, a pensive expression on his face. The couple had been due to meet for dinner that evening, but Bellatrix had been shopping and rather than head home first, she'd decided to just arrive early at the penthouse. A move she was now regretting.

"You're early," Lucius said without looking away from the window.

"So are you," Bellatrix countered. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I couldn't concentrate," Lucius replied as he finally turned away from the window to face his fiancée. "Sit down, Bella, we need to talk."

"What about?" Bellatrix asked warily as she preached on the sofa. Every instinct was screaming at her that Lucius was about to break their engagement, but she couldn't believe he would defy both of their families in such a way.

"I have to tell you something," Lucius said as he sat down on the coffee table in front of Bellatrix.

Bellatrix almost stopped breathing at Lucius's words and she prepared herself to hear him tell her that he was sleeping with Narcissa. She had to admit, she'd never expected Lucius to admit his deception and she begrudgingly had to admit he had more balls than she'd thought. Although when he did confess to bedding her baby sister, Bellatrix couldn't promise he would still have balls by the time she'd finished with him.

"I can't marry you," Lucius announced.

"Why not?" Bellatrix asked calmly, surprising herself by how clear-headed she was knowing her fiancé was about to confess to sleeping with Narcissa.

"It's not going to work," Lucius said. "I will never agree with you about Lord Voldemort and his ideas for Wizarding Britain. I have no intention of joining his army."

"Excuse me?" Bellatrix was so taken aback by what Lucius was saying that she couldn't even begin to formulate some sort of appropriate response. She'd been preparing herself to hear him admit he'd been cheating on her, and instead he was spouting some rubbish about the dark arts.

"I hated the club, and I detest what he stands for," Lucius carried on. "I won't have my wife associating with a madman and dragging down the family name. I tried to get past it, but it's clear you're not giving up this dark mania."

"You're right, I'm not," Bellatrix agreed. "And for the record, The Dark Lord is not a madman, he's a visionary. You're going to regret not supporting him, Lucius. He can help us achieve greatness."

"I don't need him to achieve greatness," Lucius snorted. "All he's going to succeed in doing is causing a mess. A mess I want no part in. I'm sorry Bella, but we're over."

"Just like that?" Bellatrix questioned with a bitter laugh. "I don't think so, Lucius. Like it or not, we're betrothed. You're stuck with me."

"No, I'm not," Lucius replied with a shake of his head. "I'm calling off the engagement and there's nothing you or your father can do about it. I'll accept all responsibility for the break-up and of course I'll pay for all the wedding cancellations. But I won't be marrying you, Bella."

"I won't stand for this," Bellatrix hissed, surging to her feet and slapping Lucius around the face before he had time to react. Screaming and yelling obscenities at the blond wizard, she proceeded to attack him by landing numerous blows to his head and face.

Lucius was initially stunned by the attack, but he quickly regained his senses and using his strength he halted her attack. Catching her wrist in his hand, he roughly pushed her away from him, causing her to fall back on the sofa.

"Have some dignity, Bella," he spat, aware that her nails had caused him some damage and blood was seeping from a few different cuts on his face. "You can rant and rave all you want, but I won't marry you. It's over."

"It's far from over Lucius," Bellatrix threatened in an icy voice as she once again got to her feet.

Calmly she removed the large engagement ring from her finger and tossed it at Lucius. Lucius failed to catch the ring, but he noted it landing under a chair as it bounced off the edge of the coffee table. Making no move to claim the ring, he warily watched Bellatrix, ready in case she decided to attack him for a second time.

"I can go and give you time to pack," Lucius offered. "I'm not doing this to hurt you, Bella. I just think we'd both be better off apart."

"You're not going to be better off," Bellatrix snorted. "You've just thrown away the best thing you've ever had, Lucius. You're going to regret this."

"No, I won't," Lucius replied.

"Yes, you will," Bellatrix countered with an evil grin, a plan to humiliate Lucius in the worst possible way already forming in her devious mind.

Not bothering to gather any of her things, Bellatrix stormed out of the penthouse. Instead of going home, where she might run in to her sister, she went to the club to find Voldemort. Even though it was early, he was in his usual room and he was more than happy to listen as Bellatrix told him everything. He then offered her some advice as she devised a plot that would ruin Lucius and expose him as the cheating bastard he was. Bellatrix might have lost her man, but she wasn't going without a fight, and she was going to make damn sure that her former fiancé and her sister got everything they deserved.


	20. Chapter 20

Ending his engagement with Bellatrix proved easier than Lucius had anticipated. After their one conversation at the penthouse, she'd vanished from his life as if she'd never been part of it in the first place. Even her things had miraculously disappeared from the penthouse by the next evening. Dealing with her father hadn't been quite as easy, but luckily Lucius had Abraxas by his side as he dealt with Cygnus.

Initially Cygnus had tried to argue the engagement couldn't be broken, but at the constant mention of Voldemort and the Dark Arts, he capitulated to the two Malfoy men. Given how he himself felt about Bellatrix's involvement with Voldemort, he really couldn't argue too much about Lucius wanting to end his engagement because of that involvement. In the end he'd had no choice but to accept the end of the engagement, although he was adamant that the Malfoys picked up all the bills cancelling the wedding would incur.

The only real problem with ending the engagement came via Abraxas's stipulation that Lucius stay away from Narcissa. Lucius had managed to talk to Narcissa before he ended things with Bellatrix, and she agreed to go along with his father's conditions, but that didn't mean either of them had to like it. It was torture for both of them to keep their distance from each other, while at the same time hoping that Narcissa's father didn't arrange a union for her before she and Lucius could attempt to get together after a respectable time had passed.

By the time six weeks had passed following the end of his engagement, Lucius was desperate to see Narcissa. Fortunately he was due to attend a big charity dinner with his father, and he was hopeful of seeing Narcissa at the event. The dinner was held every year to raise money for St Mungo's, and while it was open to all of the wizarding public tickets were expensive and more often than not the evening turned into a display of one-upmanship between the elite pureblood families as they all vied to be seen as the most generous benefactor of the evening.

On the evening in question, Lucius dressed in his sharpest, most expensive black suit and silk grey shirt. His long hair was neatly tied up with a black ribbon, and he exuded a confidence very few other wizards could match. He knew people would be talking due to the broken engagement with Bellatrix, but he was going to show the world that he was doing just fine and Bellatrix was ancient history.

"Behave yourself this evening, Lucius," Abraxas warned as the two wizards prepared to head to the hotel where the charity evening was being held. "Remember our good reputation is at stake here."

"What do you think I'm going to do, declare undying love for Narcissa in the middle of the dance floor?" Lucius snorted.

"I'm not sure what you're capable of these days, Lucius," Abraxas sneered. "Just remember there will be a strong press presence this evening, and I don't want even a hint of scandal to touch us. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Lucius replied solemnly. "Don't worry, I won't expose us. But if Narcissa is there, I will be talking to her. If we ever want to get together, we have to start interacting."

"Just make sure you do no more than talk to her," Abraxas cautioned. "A dance at the very most."

Agreeing that he wouldn't overstep the boundaries, Lucius accompanied his father to the charity dinner. Before dinner there were drinks in the adjoining ballroom and Abraxas quickly left Lucius to go and mingle. Grabbing a drink of a passing waiter, Lucius looked around the ballroom in search of Narcissa. He actually found no sign of the Black family, but he did spot Nigel and Horatio sitting at a table with the witch Horatio had recently been dating. Making his way over to his friends, he sat down with them and was introduced to Horatio's new girlfriend, Prudence.

"Horatio has told me so much about you," Prudence gushed. "I was so sorry to hear of your broken engagement. Heartbreak is always so ugly."

"I can't say I'm heartbroken," Lucius replied with a slight smile. "It was a mutual decision to end our engagement. Bellatrix and I decided that we weren't very well suited."

Even though Lucius had cancelled the engagement, he'd been happy to claim it was a mutual decision. It saved the Blacks further humiliation, and he didn't feel it was right to drag Bellatrix's private life into matters.

"You can tell us the truth, Lucius," Horatio urged. "Don't forget I know how fickle those damn Blacks can be. We won't judge you if Bella called the whole thing off."

"It was mutual," Lucius said sternly, throwing his friend a look that clearly warned him to drop it.

"So Lucius, have you set your sights on anyone new?" Nigel asked, eager to prevent an all-out argument between his two friends. Lucius and Horatio had always been prone to bickering, but these days it was happening even more frequently and Nigel got the distinct impression there was something more serious bubbling under the surface between the pair.

"No, not yet," Lucius replied, even as his grey eyes scanned the room for any signs of Narcissa. Sadly, it looked like the Blacks still hadn't made an appearance.

"Keeping an eye out for the ex, are you, Lucius?" Horatio chuckled. "I don't blame you. In your shoes, I wouldn't want to run into her for the first time since the split in public."

"Didn't you first see Narcissa at a party after she ended your engagement?" Nigel asked.

"We weren't engaged, we were engaged to be engaged," Horatio argued with a slight pout. "Besides, Narcissa has way more class than Bellatrix. She was never going to cause a public scene."

"And you think this Bellatrix woman might?" Prudence asked, her dark eyes glittering with anticipation of a bit of scandal.

"No, she won't," Lucius snapped. To be honest he didn't know what his ex was capable of, but he was desperately hoping that her upbringing would prevent her from causing a public scene when their paths did once again cross.

"It looks like we're about to find out," Horatio replied with a smirk. "Watch out Lucius, here comes Bella."

Casting his eyes towards the door to the room, Lucius spotted the Blacks arriving. He paid very little attention to Cygnus and Druella, and only spared Bellatrix a brief look, before focusing on Narcissa. As usual she was looking stunning, and was already the most desirable witch in the room. She was wearing a long, shimmering golden dress and her long blonde hair was lying loose around her shoulders. Lucius felt arousal flood his body at the sight of the lover he hadn't seen for weeks, and he was greatly relieved he was sitting down as not to embarrass himself.

"Which one is Bellatrix?" Prudence asked. "The golden goddess or the darkly dangerous looking one."

"Bella's the one in the black and red dress," Horatio supplied, unable to tear his eyes from the clingy dress that Bellatrix was wearing. It certainly left very little to the imagination, and it showed that Lucius had let a very sexy witch slip through his fingers.

"She looks cheap," Prudence hissed, well aware of where Horatio's attention was fixed.

"But Narcissa looks stunning," Nigel said wistfully.

Lucius frowned at his friend, suddenly remembering that Nigel had taken an interest in Narcissa. Not wanting his friend to go over to her and make an impression on her family, Lucius rose to his feet, grateful that his surge of arousal was now under control thanks to some deep breaths. Making an excuse, he left his friends and headed over to the family he'd almost married into, and with any luck still would, only via a different daughter.

The second he approached, Bellatrix snarled angrily and flounced off to grab a drink. Undaunted, Lucius warmly greeted Mr and Mrs Black and politely inquired about Narcissa's well-being. Since they were in public the Blacks were perfectly polite to Lucius, but as quickly as was suitable they made their excuses and left him alone with Narcissa.

"How are you?" Lucius asked quietly, ensuring he kept a discreet distance from his lover.

"Missing you," Narcissa replied with a slight smile. "I can't wait until we can be together."

"Neither can I," Lucius agreed. "Maybe after dinner we can have a dance."

"Initiating contact, are you?" Narcissa chuckled lightly.

"Something like that," Lucius returned with a smile. "Is that a yes?"

"It's a yes," Narcissa replied happily. "But I should go now. I can't be seen talking to you for very long. It'll look suspicious given what's happened between you and Bella."

"How is Bella?" Lucius asked. He hated having to ask Narcissa, but he did want to make sure she was doing okay, and he hadn't wanted to ask her parents since they were both aware that he was the one who'd ended their engagement and they might have gotten snappy with him.

"Barely at home," Narcissa answered with a worried frown. "I think she's getting further involved with that mad man, Lucius," she confided in a whisper.

"I was afraid of that, but I was never going to be able to prise her away from him," Lucius said with a sigh.

"At the end of the day it's her choice," Narcissa said with a slight shrug. "Let's hope it doesn't come back to bite her."

Aware that they were already pushing the limits of how long they could spend talking without people starting to talk, the pair went their separate ways. However as Narcissa got herself a drink and found some friends to talk to, and Lucius returned to his friends, neither of them noticed Bellatrix watching them with a murderous glint in her eyes. Even though she hadn't been able to hear a word that was said, the body language had spoken volumes and she was in no doubt that her sister and former fiancé were still involved with each other.

Unaware that Bellatrix was plotting her next move, Lucius and Narcissa enjoyed the first part of the evening. During dinner they were seated at different tables, but as the auction that followed the meal was about to begin, several people moved tables and they found themselves sitting at tables directly next to each other. When the auction did begin, neither of them were really fussed about proceedings as their fathers would be making bids and showing off their fortunes. Instead they sat making subtle eyes at each other, looking forward to the couple of minutes they could spend in each other's arms as they danced later in the evening.

Across the room, Bellatrix had been watching her sister and former fiancé, her anger rising with each passing minute. By halfway through the auction, Bellatrix was ready to move and when Abraxas placed the winning bid on a night in a luxury hotel in Paris, she rose to her feet and began to clap.

"Congratulations, Abraxas, what a wonderful prize," she sneered. "Too bad you don't have anyone to go to Paris with. I know, why don't you give it to your son. He can take his fiancée. Oh wait, he dumped me."

"Bellatrix, stop this now," Cygnus ordered in a low voice as he got to his feet. "Sorry, she's had a bit too much to drink," he added to the crowds in embarrassment.

"I have not had too much to drink," Bellatrix snapped. "And I think you're going to want to hear this next part, Daddy."

"Enough," Abraxas shouted as he too got to his feet. "Take her home Cygnus before she embarrasses you further."

"You're the one who's going to be embarrassed, Abraxas," Bellatrix warned.

"Do not threaten me, young lady," Abraxas warned in a growl.

"I'm not scared of you," Bellatrix spat. "I'm not scared of any Malfoy. Lest of all my cheating rat of an ex-fiancé. That's right everyone, Lucius was cheating on me. And do you want to know the best bit? Do you want to know what whore was spreading her legs for him? It was my baby sister, Narcissa."

As one the entire room turned to look at where Lucius and Narcissa were sitting. Bellatrix's revelation had come as such a surprise to both of them that they hadn't had time to hide their guilt and shock, and it was obvious to everyone in the room that Bellatrix was telling the truth.

"You bastard," Horatio yelled, taking a swing at Lucius and only missing because Nigel grabbed onto the back of his shirt. "That's why Narcissa wouldn't get engaged, because she was sleeping with you. You two timing little slapper," he hissed in Narcissa's direction.

"You speak to her like that again and I'll knock your teeth down your throat," Lucius warned in a menacing voice as he rose to his feet.

Taking hold of Narcissa, Lucius gently pulled her to her feet and making sure to keep himself slightly in front of her, he led her to the front of the room where their family was standing. By this point Druella was standing by her husband, mutely shaking her head from side to side in disbelief.

"Tell me this isn't true, Narcissa," Cygnus demanded of his youngest daughter.

"You can see its true," Bellatrix spat. "Just look at them, they've got no shame."

"This is not the time or the place," Abraxas muttered in a low voice as he shuffled uncomfortable under the curious stares of the other party-goers.

"You knew." Cygnus turned to face Abraxas, his eyes glaring accusingly at the blond wizard. "You knew your bastard of a son was seducing my poor innocent daughter, while preparing to marry her sister."

"Innocent?" Bellatrix squealed. "Cissy wasn't innocent. She's the whore who stole my fiancé."

"Bellatrix," Druella scolded, wincing at the profanity.

"Don't you dare," Bellatrix hissed. "Don't you dare choose her over me. I'm the injured party here. Narcissa is the one in the wrong, not me. That little cow stole my fiancé, and she hasn't even had the decency to apologise."

"I am sorry," Narcissa whispered. "I doubt this means anything to you, Bella, but we never meant to hurt you."

"If you never meant to hurt me you should have refrained from shagging my fiancé," Bellatrix spat. "And if you really had to sleep with him, you could have covered your tracks a bit better. It's rather cliché leaving jewellery in his bed for me to find."

"The bracelet," Narcissa muttered to herself as the pieces fell into place. She hadn't been able to find her bracelet for days, but when she'd seen Bellatrix with it she'd assumed she'd found it in her bedroom, when she really must have found it in Lucius's room at the manor.

"Yes, your bracelet led me to discover your sordid secret," Bellatrix crowed triumphantly. "And you know, I might have been able to forgive the pair of you. But then Lucius ended the engagement, and I knew the real reason why. It wasn't anything to do with how I spend my free time, it was because of you, Narcissa. He wouldn't marry me because he wanted you."

"I'm sorry Bella," Lucius offered.

"I don't want your apologies, Lucius," Bellatrix snarled. "In fact, I want nothing to do with you. Either of you," she added, glaring hatefully at her sister. "I've exposed you for the cheating scum you are, and I hope the pair of you rot in hell."

"I think we should take this elsewhere," Abraxas said, trying again to stop the public spectacle they were making, although he knew it was already too late to contain the scandal.

"I'm not going anywhere with those two," Bellatrix spat, pointing at Lucius and Narcissa. "And I will not be returning home, if she's there," she informed her parents. "It's time you chose. Me, who has done nothing wrong, or Cissy, who's being going behind my back and sleeping with the man who was going to be my husband."

"We really can't condone this, Narcissa," Druella said sternly. "You've disgraced the entire family."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Narcissa whispered.

"Sorry enough to give Lucius up?" Cygnus asked, trying desperately to give his daughter another chance, even though he wasn't sure she deserved one.

"No," Narcissa replied with a shake of her head. "I love him."

"Well, go on," Bellatrix urged her parents. "Disown the bitch."

"This is your final chance, Narcissa," Cygnus warned. "Leave Lucius and come with us and we can try and fix this. Of course you will have to move out and you'll lose your inheritance, but I can find you a suitable husband. Maybe a foreign wizard would have you."

"A foreign wizard will not bloody well have her," Lucius snarled. "Narcissa is mine. I love her and I intend to marry her."

"We will never accept this," Druella spat at her daughter. "If you chose him, you're dead to us."

"I have to choose Lucius, I love him," Narcissa replied quietly.

"Then we're done," Druella announced with a dramatic flourish of her hand. "Narcissa Black, you're no longer a daughter of ours."

"And you're no sister of mine," Bellatrix hissed. "Watch your back, Cissy, because I will never forget this. One day, I'll make you regret taking what's not yours."

"Daddy, please," Narcissa begged as both her mother and sister pushed past her to leave the room.

"I'm sorry, but you brought this on yourself," Cygnus said with a rueful shake of his head. "I hope he's worth it, Narcissa, because you've just lost everything."

With his head held high, Cygnus moved past the Malfoys and accompanied his wife and eldest daughter out of the room. At the sight of their departing backs, Narcissa broke down in Lucius's arms while whispers began to spread around the previously silent crowd. Aware that they were still the centre of attention, Abraxas clipped Lucius around the ear and ordered him to leave with him. Silently the two Malfoys, and a still weeping Narcissa, departed the evening and made their way back to the manor.

Knowing that Abraxas would be mad at him, Lucius hurriedly settled Narcissa in his bedroom before hurrying off to deal with his father. As expected Abraxas was fuming and Lucius was greeted by a glass narrowly missing hitting his head as he entered his father's study. For an hour he had to endure Abraxas lecturing him on the stain he'd placed on the family name, and how it was going to be his job to turn things around and return the Malfoys to the respectable pureblood family they'd been for generations.

"And Narcissa?" Lucius finally managed to ask.

"It looks like we have no choice but to keep her," Abraxas snapped, not bothering to hide his disapproval from his son. "She better be worth all of this fuss, Lucius."

"She is," Lucius vowed. "I love her father."

"I know you do," Abraxas admitted with a sigh. "And given the way she stood up to her family, I would say she loved you. But things are not going to be easy."

"I'm aware of that," Lucius said quietly. "And I'm sorry for what happened this evening, but I can't be sorry for loving Narcissa. I will never regret loving her."

Abraxas gave a sharp nod of understanding before dismissing his son. Returning to his private wing of the manor, Lucius found Narcissa had stopped crying and she was sitting curled up in the centre of his large bed, looking forlorn. Immediately she began to apologise for the trouble she'd caused, but Lucius quietened her with a kiss.

"This isn't your fault, Narcissa," Lucius assured her. "This may not have been the way we wanted things to go, but in a way Bella might have done us a favour. At least now we're together."

"Do you think we're going to last?" Narcissa asked in a small voice. After everything she'd just given up she wanted to be sure that Lucius still wanted her and thought they had a future together.

"Forever," Lucius answered confidently as he gave Narcissa another kiss. "This is only the beginning, Narcissa. We've got the rest of our lives ahead of us, and I for one can't wait to see what our future holds."

 **The End.**

* * *

 **A/N – Thank you for reading and reviewing Tangled Web. I have to say I was a bit nervous about posting a story with a different pairing than my usual writing, but I've been thrilled with the support I've received.**

 **As I said at the start of this story, Tangled Web marks the beginning of a new universe I plan of revisiting in future stories. In fact, I've already started work on a second story in this universe, and I have plans for more stories which will eventually lead back to my usual Dramione based stories. But for now this chapter of Lucius and Narcissa's story is over, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I can't say when I will be back with more from this universe, but I will be back and next time will feature a few more familiar faces.**

 **So thanks again for reading, and hopefully I'll see a lot of you soon when it's time for my next new story in a few weeks time.**


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